Monday, April 13, 2009

Simple Beginnings

Over the Last couple of months I've become increasingly enamoured with the idea of shawls... Mmmmmm just the word makes me want to nuzzle into the warmth and softness of an all encompassing comfort and deliciousness of a nice snuggly shawl - like a cat shnuggling into a fabulously cosy napping spot!

I've knit a few lace shawls so far - one for each of my Grandmothers, a small shawlette type shawl for charity and most recently the long rectangular lace wedding stole.

I have in mind knitting a ginormous triangular lace shawl - mainly inspired by this amazing creation by ClaraSofia
Doesn't that look INCREDIBLE?!
Oh to have such a luxurious creation to wrap around oneself!!

I'm also loving the smaller shawls, or shawlettes, in the style of Ishbel and such - lace triangles that can be worm as little scarves or neckercheifs to add colour, comfort and neck-toastiness!

I had long been contemplating knitting something in the style of a mainly stockinette triangle with a bit of fanciness on the edge, but not too elaborate, something akin to a smaller verson of the Textured Shawl recipe...

With this mulling about in my mind I stumbled across Mary Heather's fantastic Simple Things shawl - and I have fallen in LOVE!

This absolutely fits the bill and my imaginaton grabbed a hold of the image to fill in the wavey clouds of mental imagery I had been toying with and give a solid structure to the ideas of what I would like to knit! MH (rainydaygoods on ravelry) has yet to publish the pattern so I embarked on the project myself, improvising to hopefully achieve a similar outcome.

simple shawlette close

I'm using two skeins of Koigu KPPPM which I have hoarded, Smaug-like in my obsessive protection, for what seems like an age. I finally decided it's high time to knit the yarn up, and as I'm so in love with Koigu (I want moooore! MORE!!) yet it seems to be so hard to come by here in Oz, I wanted to create something that I could see and touch and enjoy, and I worried that socks would be too easily forgotten all the way down 5-foot-something-inches away from my sight!

I'm thrilled to have paired the yarn with this project as it's coming out wonderfully.
Reminds me of something, but I can't yet place what exactly... Something organic and natural.. like a marsh? Or lovely smooth gecko skin? I'm not sure yet but it's striking a chord with me whatever it is! I began knitting on our drive from the city up up up in to the Pilbara, so it will always have wild desert memories knit in to it too I expect

simple shawlette

This shot gives an idea of scale, though the colours aren't accurate as the first - Fluro office lighting is not a friend to colour! I plan to knit through this first ball, and then once I'm about half way through the next skein I'll begin the eyelet ridges - I think that should work out fairly well :) I'm so EXCITED to be knitting for ME! ;D

p.s. Mary Heather is writing up the pattern and test knitting at this instant! So be sure to keep an eye out for its debut!

5 comments:

Amanda said...

Magic when yarn and pattern come together like that. Looks great so far.

2paw said...

Those colours in the wool are gorgeous and look so great knitted up.

Ann said...

Wow - you are into designing shawls. That's great & the shawl is looking great too. I love knitting triangle shawls too!

Michelle said...

that yarn is gorgeous!! love the colourway!!!

Jackie said...

This is BEAUTIFUL!!!!