Two year shawl!

A little over two years ago, in my very early knitting life (I still consider myself in my 'early'
knitting life compared to, say, my mom), I decided to knit a shawl for a friend's birthday present. How hard could it be? I'd knit a few things before and even a little lacey stuff, so I went in search of a pattern.

I found one in a vogue magazine. Lovely lace, warm, wintery shawl. I'm not a lace sort of girl. I like solid, classic, colourful, layers...but not pastel or lace. But my friend, well she is a sort of lace type of girl. So I checked out the pattern - Deborah Newton's Lace Wrap in Vogueknitting Fall 2005- a nice combination of lace and solidity. I rushed up to Cassidy's and bought 10 balls of that beautiful NZ merino/cashmere that was on sale earlier this year for $2 a ball!! which I bought for $10 a ball!!! and began to knit.

Now, as I am an Aries (not that I believe that stuff!) I am really good at planning grand schemes, starting them, and then letting them fizzle because who can pay attention to the small details when there are grand schemes to plan? This is my life lesson - to pay attention and be conscious all the time. Stop! I'm talking about the shawl right now.

I was going to knit this sucker in one month and have it ready for the birthday party - which was her 50th by the way. I started on straight plastic needles and I was sooo slow. I had to read every line of the pattern and mark it off. I photocopied the pattern 12 times because I wrote on it so much I couldn't read it after about two repeats. I never got the flow of it.

Well, two days before the big birthday I ran over to Manuka and bought the most gorgeous big bug brooch with colourful paste jewels all over it and gave that to her for her 50th birthday present and put the shawl in a bag in the top of the stash silo.

A few months ago I found it again. Somehow one of the plastic knitting needles had snapped off - surprise! Half of the stitches had fallen off and the rest had stretched out. Now, that I know a tad bit more about knitting I decided this shawl was too beautiful to sit unfinished in a bag in the dark. The yarn is so soft and lovely. The pattern was, now, easy to remember. And I have discovered, and use almost exclusively, circular needles. So, out the whole thing tumbled, stitches were ripped back a bit, circs were inserted and I knit.

Now, I am especially pleased that I did not finish this in time to give it away. I love having it around MY shoulders. I even fell asleep in it the other night and it almost strangled me (but that is not the shawl's fault - my menopausal sleep patterns make for much tossing and turning in the night).

I love that it is mine, all mine. I can see myself as a old woman sitting knitting great grandbaby clothes wearing this cashmere shawl. I really truely am in love with it and I'm going to keep her!