Days By the Water: Two Shawls in Two Weeks

I was in no mood to tackle bigger project or coming up with a design when fall semester was about to start. I thought I'd make shawls. I wanted simple shawls with enough details to hold interest but not too complicated to execute.

I realized long ago that of all the projects I knitted, I wore shawls the most.

I wore my shawls like scarves, even with the prettiest ones with intricate lace pattern I just wrapped them around my neck.. I didn't even own a shawl pin. Being a total cheapskate I never could bring myself to buy a shawl pin, Although I'd spend $20 on necklaces or a dinner, somehow, $20 for a shawl pin just seemed too extravagant to me. Crazy, I know. Maybe it really just had to do with how I wear shawls. Anyhow.... I rarely got to wear my sweaters even though I love making them the most. My job did not really allow me to wear anything nice. Well, I could if I so desperately want to get charcoal and paint all over it. And socks, no knitted socks most of the time for this gal with the widest feet and the highest instep - seriously the most unattractive feet in the 100 mile radius.

So it was definitely time to make more shawls.

The first one was Sugared Violet, a lovely design by Rose Beck. I was attracted to the simple yet elegant design. I wanted to try a semi circle / crescent shape shawl, something I'd never done, and without any of the reverse scallop points. This fitted the bill nicely. Even though I did not like the yarn color as a sweater I still had one skein left of the Tosh Merino Light in Trodden, so I went ahead and used that up for this shawl. Just as I believed, the handdye yarn sure suited well with accessories, especially shawls. I love how it turned out.

One annoying thing happened was when I was binding off I dropped a stitch and did not realize it until I was blocking it with pins. Grrrrrr. And the stitch dropped was at the beginning of the row. Next day I spent an hour fixing it and. .

Pattern: Sugared Violet by Rose Beck

Yarn: Tosh Merino Light

Needles: US 6

Since I was still in the mood for knitting shawls I decided on Simply Hilary, designed by Tracey Withanee. The design called for aran weight yarn but I knitted in worsted weight. I loved the texture stitches of this design. The stitches were so simple to make yet very effective. I loved the idea of making a heavier weight shawl with texture stitches. I could wear it more like a wrap with a closure on the front. No, not pins, I used a button I have and single crochedt a loop and attached to it to make it a self- button loop. You know, the one nice thing about being poor, we're forced to come up with creative solutions. You should see how Paul fixed our dryer door....it was pretty hilarious and no, not with duck tape. I'll post a picture some day.

The yarn was Plymouth Royal Silk Merino. I hated it when I was making a skirt with it last year. It looked so raggedy in St st. But with the texture stitches of this shawl, the yarn ended much newer looking when knitted up.

I'd found another way of wearing shawls, due to its thickness, I felt as if I was wearing a semi-poncho and I loved that. This totally made want to make more non-lacy heavier shawls for the coming seasons.