Another Monthly Update

Once again, time rolls around and it has been a month since my last post.  Let me not delve into all that happened in that month; it was not all good, although some was, and it is now past.  Instead we look forward. 

 

But first, before all progress, we must celebrate a finished object.

Presenting Shawlography.  Here draped on my great, great, grandmother's spinning wheel, where it still resides.  I decided this is an attractive storage place, and easy enough to grab when I am heading out the door.

 

Admittedly I alternated between loving and hating this project.  I had serious doubts about both my color choices and their placement in the shawl.  I love the colors, but it is difficult to choose colors when one is ignorant of the final result.  Granted I could have used one of Stephen West's collated collections, and perhaps I should have.  But it worked out and I love the final shawl.

 

I worried about the striped border.  I was afraid that it could either pull the entire thing together or it could make it look like something that walked out of a circus act.  Happily I think it leans more toward the former.  I thoroughly enjoyed knitting the shawl, it made me think about combining stitches in new ways, and was fun to knit.  I like the result and will wear it.  I do not need to knit another.

 

There are some minor changes to the band.  I used only four colors instead of five.  I also made an error in the stripe band in that I initially neglected to decrease at the outer edge, so from the beginning my band gets gradually wider, then levels out into a wider band than specified.  By the time I figured out what I had done, I decided I would not rip, and I actually like the way the shawl looks.  My error looks like an intentional design feature. 

 

My yardage usage was as follows:

Mominoki Finnwool, l Kerry:  400 meters

Mominoki Sock Yarn Fine, Coral:  388.8 meters

Mominoki Finnwool, Cassis:  356 meters

Mominoki Finnwool, Nasu (purple): 344 meters

Mominoki Finnwool, Copper: 192 meters.

 

The remaining yarns are already being used in another project, but I will update you on all of that in the near future.

 

 

 

Comments

[Kristin]

That's my issue with mystery knit alongs. You can't plan ahead :-) But I think that SW is such an artist (and so comfortable with high contrast) that it's hard to go wrong. I also see a lot of peeps modifying his patterns as they go (much as you did with the band) and appreciating the outcome. I do feel that his projects are serious. I mean, you don't take this on without commitment. But what a way to learn and create!