What's more difficult than knitting a lace shawl? Photographing it. Apologies to all -- my regular trusty camera isn't available, so I'm borrowing an ancient digital camera of my parents' which doesn't have a "no flash" setting. Yikes. So, these pictures don't do my beautiful shawl justice. Plus, I'm all frazzled, because I'm operating on zero sleep (that's what'll happen when you host an all-girl slumber party, even though you have a toddler who wants to get up at 5 a.m. so she can see the ladies who slept over -- insanity).
Pie-Wedge Shawl pattern from the ball band on the yarn I used
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Helen's Lace in Gray's Corner
Needle: Uh, I think it was a U.S. #7 circular...
Mods: Absolutely none. None, I'm tellin' ya.
I don't think I can even really call this a lace shawl, because, aside from a few eyelets and a saw-tooth edge, this baby is pure garter stitch. This piece is all about the yarn, because basically it's just straight garter -- aside from the saw-teeth all I had to remember to do was turn the piece two stitches early at the end of every other row. Easy. I still managed to bungle up the top a bit by weirdly unravelling and dropping a bunch of stitches, which was hard to repair, since it was where the short rows were their shortest. But, I pretty much faked it and it ended up looking fine. Since the gauge is so loose, anything really goes with this shawl.
So, was the Helen's Lace worth $65? Abso-freakin-lutely. Oh boy, is this fabric ever soft and luxurious and so so spongey. Before I bought it I extensively handled the sample shawl in the store and was amazed by its sheer spongey-ness. And it's also light enough that it can easily be bunched up and worn as a scarf. I love it. I've already had occasion to wear it and with Calgary's hot days and mercifully cool nights I think it'll get a lot of mileage.
Oh, and to prove my crap photography skills/lousy camera, here's an outtake of my "photo shoot" of me actually wearing it. As they'd say on America's Next Top Model (or, the even more awesome Canada's Next Top Model) "and this is your best shot!" Yikes.
3 comments:
I think you did great for a mom who's sleep deprived. Did you have help? I see a helper in the 2nd photo.
Awesome! I made on of these too (in Helen's Lace "Watercolor") and gave it the mother-in-law for her b-day. I earned lots of brownie points...
Wow! "Crap photography" be damned! That shawl is lovely! I'll have to look for that pattern.
I'm in Andrea's postcard swap and found you via the flickr page. I, too, have a daughter named Ruby and love to knit! Take care..
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