Theolie shawl

Thanks for the supportive comments, everyone. I really do appreciate it! I'm still thinking about what role I want this blog to play in my creative life, or at least the public side of it. Even though blogging can be rather time-intensive, I like the platform for digging into topics. Much as I love Instagram, it's really quite ephemeral. Post something, get a few likes, scroll through an interesting hashtag or the feed of someone you follow, immediately forget about it. That's how IG works for me, anyway. When I want to delve into something like slow fashion or document my process for working out a particular problem, blogging is the way to go.

I think one of my hang-ups is that it feels like most people's focus has shifted to IG, and the bloggers who remain are running creative businesses of their own. I think it's fantastic that the internet has made this possible for some talented designers...but that's not where I am right now. I write this blog purely for my own enjoyment and because I like to think a few people out there are reading it and enjoying it, too. I'm not selling anything; I'm just sharing this part of my life with the internet because...well, because I want to.

So I don't think I'll quit just yet. I guess I shouldn't even worry about whether anyone is reading. Clearly, I have an unhealthy need for external validation! Working on that (always). Meanwhile, thanks again for reading.

Now then. Onto knitting.

Here are some FO shots from a couple weeks ago. Actually, the FO is from June. Usually I'm more on top of these things, but I haven't been in the right headspace for it for months.

This is the Theolie shawl by Katie White. I started knitting it last spring and finished blocking it the day before we left for our trip to Scotland in June.

In October, I finally hid the ends and got some photos. It shouldn't have taken me four months.

Since these pictures were taken, all those beautiful golden leaves have fallen down. It's still unusually warm here, but the landscape has certainly taken a turn for the drab.

The yarn is 100% Suri alpaca I bought from the Alpaca Festival almost four years ago. It's gorgeous, gorgeous stuff from a farm near Mt. Horeb. The owner is a lovely woman and sister to a teacher at my kids' school. I believe the following year her animals won best in show.

It took me a couple years to start knitting with this yarn because it seemed so very special and I wanted to find the perfect pattern to knit with it. Then last spring I decided just to go for it, so after soliciting advice from here (thanks to those of you who offered your input!) I settled on the Theolie shawl.

The yarn is silky and buttery and feels wonderful to knit with. I have to admit, though, that I was skeptical that it would turn out well because it is also full of vegetable matter and shed like crazy all over me whenever I picked it up to work on it.

Truthfully, it still sheds when I wear it, but I don't care. It's lovely and happens to be one of the few alpaca yarns I can wear around my neck without the slightest tickle. It has amazing drape, too.



With Christmas coming up so soon, I wonder if I should put this lovely thing in the gift pile? Can I bear to? Or should I keep it for myself?