little model

I'm not really into shawls, generally speaking. I love looking at them, and I've got patterns for more than a few, but I rarely knit them and I never wear them. As gorgeous as many of those giant lace triangles are, I think it's kind of hard to pull off wearing one without looking...well...dowdy. At least, that's how I imagine I would look if I tried to wear one. 

Having said all that, I spent the last couple of weeks knitting a shawl. It's a lace pattern, but not too frilly, and it's got the sort of heft and drape to be worn more like a scarf if you want, and that's what I was going for. My dear little daughter agreed to model it for me, too.

I think she pulls it off rather well, don't you agree?

Also, who says redheads can't wear red? This shade of red is beautiful on her (in my unbiased opinion...)

Here's the shawl on regular ol' me:

I would totally wear it like this and not feel dowdy.

Oof, gotta do something about my hair, though. 

Alas and alack, I'm not keeping this one. It's a gift. I like it enough that I'm hoping the recipient will, too.

Pattern: Motte Shawl by Miriam Felton, from Twist and Knit

Finished Size: about 63" from tip to tip, and 23" wide at the widest point in the center

Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool, just over 2 skeins in this gorgeous red, leftover from a sweater I test knit last year (the Gibson Shell). I like the weight and texture of the silky wool with this pattern.

Sticks: size 8, Addi Lace. If you can  stand the brassy smell, a pair of these needles in your favorite size is worth the investment. I love the pointy, pointy tips for all the decreases

Comments: The lace pattern looks easy, but it's a bit tricky, mostly because every row has yarnovers and decreases. Lots of lace knitting allows for plain purled rows worked on the wrong side, but not this design! That said, once you get the hang of it, the pattern is fairly intuitive. I had to watch the charts the entire time I was working on this, though.

Miriam Felton's book Twist and Knit is quite the useful little thing, full of instructions with photo tutorials. The twelve patterns are all quite charming, and include instructions for using up varying amounts of yarn, whether you've got 800 yards of laceweight to make a large stole, or 200 yards of DK weight for a smaller scarf, just for example.  I am making a real effort to find patterns that fit the yarn I have so that I don't end up just buying more and adding to my rather large and unruly collection (re: stash busting). I had just over two skeins of the silky wool I wanted to use up on a scarf or shawl, and the Motte Shawl was a good fit. It is cleverly written to be knit from tip to tip so once you've used up no more than 50% of your yarn, you start to decrease. I still have a partial skein leftover, but it feels good  to have used up almost all of the rest of what I had.

Now it's time to root around for my next project. More mittens, perhaps? Another shawl/scarf? You'll find out soon.