Tuesday, February 26

I don't do shawls

Have I mentioned that before? I feel like I must since I'm pretty much the least shawl minded person on the planet. I should clarify that though because really? I'm not a non-shawl person. I just don't wear them. I don't know how. It's true. Do I wrap? Do I fold? Tuck? Tie? There are so many options and sizes that the thought (plus my short neck and lack of shoulders) is overwhelming.

I do knit them though. Boy, can I knit them. I even have one hibernating. It'll likely be taken out of hibernation and redone as something else at this point. The yarn doesn't fit. That's neither here nor there though. You know what is?

Color Affection

A couple months ago this seemed all the rage (and still is...I hear there were quite a few at Stitches West) and it was talked about everywhere I went. Knitters were loving it and non-knitters were wanting it. One such non-knitter REALLY wanted it. She wanted two actually. One for herself and one for a gift. We got to talking and soon enough I had the pattern and the yarn in my pretty little hands.


 The colors were, no ARE, amazing. When I first opened the package I was doubtful. I'm so glad the intended person was not.

Yarn:
Knit Picks Palette: I've never used this yarn. It is on the thinner side of fingering and it can rub your finger a bit rough but overall it wasn't bad. It is a bit hairy so if that bothers you, pick a different yarn.
Main color: Coriander Heather
CC1: Hollyberry
CC2: Sagebrush

If you go through the gallery on Ravelry you will notice a lot of folks did a mod for the edge. That's because that sucker is tight.


 Between the many increases (all 2 stitches from the edge) and the carrying of more than one color (3 in the 3rd section of stripes) it can just get tight. It does block out but it can be a hard block. This one kept a bit of ruffle. I was worried about overblocking and distorting the garter so I shot the person an email and asked which they would prefer. They loved it as you see it there so it's been folded and packaged and is ready to ship. There ARE ways around that ripple and if it's important to you to not have it, browse the gallery. There are a lot of helpful suggestions and formulas for avoiding it.


I guess I can figure out how to wear one afterall. The size of this particular one is...well large. It's a shawl and it's meant to wrap around you in the best possible way. It's possibly convinced me to cast away my issues with them and give one a go. It's convinced a couple others to try one themselves. It does get repetitive and if you aren't paying attention you can mess up. I did (misread the pattern and plugged along pretending I was in charge of my knitting) and that's frustrating on a row that's 300+ stitches but it is totally worth it. It's a keeper.

And since I don't do shawls, stay tuned for tomorrow. Where I have another shawl. This time in some handspun of my own.

4 comments:

Lisa Eggs said...

Really, really beautiful! Very unique, I love it.

Cassie said...

You know...it's totally doable as a brand new knitter. Just tossin' the idea out there. ;)

Lisa Eggs said...

If you really think it's doable I think I'm going to buy the pattern, b/c I really do love it and I think I could be a closet shawl person :) Is there one that you would recommend that I start with before this one or should I leap right into this? Recently Soulemama did a shawl that wraps around and ties in the back, have you seen that one? It's really cute! She posted it maybe 2 weeks ago or so. I wonder what you'd think of that one: doable?

Cassie said...

I have seen it and it is even more doable than this one honestly! It's all garter stitch (just plain ol' knitting, never a purl). If you wanted something smaller to practice more skills on (both knitting and purling and decreasing)there is also this one: http://www.slatefallspressbooks.com/2012/08/little-house-shawl.html . I just started it for my 7 yr old the other night.