Long Overdue FO Post #1

Sea Breeze Shawl



Pattern: Chinook
Yarn: Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud in Tidepool Heather, Gloss Lace in Aegean, Shadow in Jazz Heather and Snorkel Heather, Shadow Kettle Dyed in Pacific (no longer on the website) and Shimmer Hand Dyed in Shallows (all laceweight)
Needle: 5mm wooden circular
Mods: None. I'm not counting the mistakes as mods. 



This shawl came as a kit from Knit Picks in 2009. It's quite clever - each section is knit with two strands held together, and you drop one colour and pick up the next as you go so you get a graduated colour change which is actually more subtle than it appears in the pictures. The kit was sold in this colourway, along with a pinks, a purples and a black/grey/white combination. I think it was re-released the following year with other colour choices, judging by the FOs on Ravelry. It took me three years to get this done though, so I am glad I didn't buy another at the time.



It shouldn't really have taken three years; it just became a bit antisocial because I had to count every row. The stitches increase by 20 or so with each repeat of the ripple pattern so I got about halfway through the chart (in terms of rows, not in terms of total stitches) and each row was taking me so long and became so arduous - I couldn't take it to knitting group, or watch TV while I was working on it - that I set it aside. At the time, I seem to remember it was a good project because I was waiting for my new car to be delivered and, consequently, spending a lot of time on the bus. So, this year, I hauled it out to knit on public transport and because I wanted it to wear this summer, and realised it wasn't quite the chore I remembered, and it was finished in six weeks. Ain't that always the way? Getting started is the hardest part.



It's not quite blocked to the measurements because I simply don't have the room. I blocked it on our double bed but it wasn't big enough. Consequently, it has sproinged back a bit, but I quite like that. It's exceedingly warm and an excellent length for a shawl.

It travelled around the whole of California with me and didn't make it out of my suitcase once. This was mainly because I didn't want it to stink of woodsmoke, though.