I sat down to write a different post today, but suddenly realised I had yet to share this make with you and I really do love it.

Apologies in advance for not actually modelling it, my vintage hooks will just have to do this tome.  (the top one that is, the bottom one is from Ikea).

You might remember the post I wrote in May which was my regular, more in depth look at what I’d been knitting/making for the newly released edition of Olann and?  Actually, it was that post I’d sat down to write – this time, a closer look at the Libran by Siún Carden.

and you need to know this now because?

Sorry, even when I’m writing I barely make sense.

Stop going off on tangents Lora, bring it back…..  OK, face looking forward, breathe and

As with everything I design, I usually make a few swatches and maybe even a couple of ‘samples’.  The shawl above is the first version of the If I Was Your Girlfriend Shawlette, except it’s not is it?  As you can see, it’s actually a shawl, a big shoulder hugging swathe of fabric, that you can wrap yourself in to ward of a chill and I LOVE IT!

This was to be a unisex knit, that was the brief (I’d given it to myself, obviously) and a shawl this big might possibly not be a guy thing.  I definitely know a few men who could pull it off, but as to whether they’d even try?

So smaller was the name of the game, shawlette size and therefore more scarf like.

I reduced my original design dramatically to the one that features in our fourth issue.

 

In this version the stocking stitch bands are wider, although the moss stitch bands remain the same.  The first band has 12 rows, the second 14, the third 18, the fourth 24 and the 5th has 30.  Ideally the last stocking stitch band would have been 32 rows, but it took every scrap of the navy yarn I had to get to 30, bar a tiny slither.  I seriously considered breaking into another hank for the last 2 rows of the band final moss stitch, but was worried there could be a slight difference in the shades.  On something so plain, it would likely slap you in the face.

Instead I went digging around in my stash to see if I could find something that might work and happened upon a generous ball of the green you see.  As a stand alone colour it’s pretty insignificant, I know what it reminds me of, but I probably shouldn’t really say – think sneezing 😉

So…… having finished it with the washed out lime green, there is a little more interest to the shawl and the navy has become more pronounced.  The semi-solid shade has such lovely subtle colour shifts from dark denim through to deep navy and I would live and die in navy if I could, so it was always going to be a winner.

Now this would usually be the part where I tell you about the yarn I’ve used, but I’m afraid they’re more of my  own handdyed stash that I’d created to sell before I closed the shop.  Fortunately (I guess), you tend to dye what you like when you’re first starting, so apart from the odd hank of purple that I produced, I’ll be able to work through most of them.  That’s if I don’t get a change of heart some day and start selling them.  I can tell you there was approximately 420 metres on the hank though if that helps?

Today Deirdre and I are off on an Olann and road trip to Dublin and I’m unbelievably excited at the prospect of visiting a yarn shop.  You’d think I’d had just about enough of yarn shops having owned one for 10 years?  Nope, it’s so unbelievably different now, I love it and can’t wait to get my fix of different textures, pretty colours and purse straining temptation.

I hope you’ve something equally fab planned?

Happy Making

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