Warning – you might need sunglasses!
Don’t you just love finishing projects? I’ve made a promise to myself to try and get a few of those projects languishing in the sin bin completed over the Summer months if I can. So far that’s involved digging through the bag to see what’s in there and then putting them all back, but it’s a start anyway 😉
As most of you will already know, this is the third Nellie May Shawl I’ve knitted and as I mentioned in my previous post I did make a few adjustments to the pattern this time. Most noticeably there are only 3 lace pattern repeats on this sunburst shawl, as I wanted it to be more of a shawlette this time round.
It has been finished for a while, but I needed to get my act in gear to sew in the ends and persuade someone to take a few photos. Happily everything has come together just in time for the Summer Solstice, so it will be forever known as my Orange Solstice Shawl.
The Irish Fairytale Yarn has knitted up to form a lighter fabric than that in the original Ellie and Ada yarn and because there is less silk it doesn’t reflect the light so much either. Having said that, I really don’t think I’m in any danger of being difficult to spot in it, do you?
Whilst I love the colour orange, it is a little out of my comfort zone and I’m not completely convinced, that wearing such a bright colour next to my undeniably fair skin and peroxide platinum hair, is the right combination. It does however, look great with my standard uniform of blue, blue and more blue, so it can’t be too bad.
By switching the 3 border stitches either side, from stocking stitch to garter stitch, I did find the shawl blocked easier this time. The extra stretch you get from garter stitch definitely resulted in a flatter edge. I also worked two rows of plain stocking stitch before adding the moss stitch border, so the transition was a little smoother.
I was too lazy to use a sewn cast off, which looks beautiful, sits better, but takes forever. Instead I opted for a simple lace cast off, where you knit two stitches and then knit them together through the back of the loop.
Long gone are the days of using just pins to block my knitwear and you can see where I used my blocking wires, the stitches have opened up a little in places. It’s not bad enough to detract from the moss stitch pattern and I wouldn’t go back to having to pin every cm or so if you paid me.
I shall wear my shawl with pride for today at least, Happy Summer Solstice.
☀ ☀ ☀
Confessions of a Fibre Strumpet 