-shawls-

I thought I would share a few things I have completed this year- starting with these shawls.  My crafting time is mostly spent knitting vs. sewing now.  It is easier to pick up here and there.  I knit while we do school and while watching T.V. at night.  I find knitting a good way for me to slow down.  I am always looking to the next project, but I do also enjoy the slower pace it takes to finish.

The first shawl is a pattern called "Windward".  I started this back in May while on a trip, and I was plugging away at it until I came to a point where I kept miscounting and making mistakes.  Ripping and re-ripping.  So frustrated- I put it aside.  Then I picked it back up in November and finished it in no time.  Funny how projects go like that.  Sometimes you need a little breathing space.  This was a fun pattern overall because it keeps changing and gives a lot of variety instead of the same six rows over and over again like the project I am working on now. ;0)  I  used Knit Picks Gloss Fingering in a pretty teal color.  I liked this yarn.  It has a nice sheen to it because of the silk, and I would definitely use it again.

The second shawl is "Ellison Bay".  This was the first shawl that I attempted, and I wanted a beginner pattern.  I loved the mock cable edging on this shawl, and it was a simple and easy construction.  I used Andean Treasure (an alpaca yarn) in a kind of orangey gold color, and I like how soft this shawl turned out.  However, the joins in the yarn kind of made some awkward lumps, so eh...the yarn was kind of a disappointment.