maxine’s little garter shale shawl
February 14, 2008lots of blog entries this week! it’s been a snow week and the yarn store has been slow, so i’ve had much more time working at home. i almost have another pattern done to publish too! on to the finished object of the day. this one is going in the mail tomorrow. ben and i took advantage of the snow day weather to take some photos outside.
the professor i worked with on my thesis emailed me some time ago mentioning that there was a draft on her neck/upper back when she sat at her desk (which she does a lot since she’s a writer…). she asked if i still had this shawl left from my thesis and if i’d be willing to part with it. i didn’t have that shawl, but i did agree to make her a small shawl to wear while at her desk.
i knew when designing this shawl that i wanted incredibly warm garter stitch at the top and something lacy on the bottom, keeping in mind that she spent many years as a farm woman in rural alberta. practicality needed to be the priority. i worked all of the garter stitch and when i came to the point where i wanted to do the lace, i could think of nothing more suitable than old shale/feather and fan stitch – easy, pretty, feminine, practical.
little garter shale shawl
ingredients:
recycled sweater – jones new york country – 50% wool/15% alpaca /35% acrylic
edging – vintage woodward’s wool, thrifted in vancouver
this yarn was chosen partially because she requested neutral colors and partially because the natural browns reminded me of the prairies. what i most loved about this yarn was the nubbly look that it knit up into. here’s a good photo.
other things that turned out well – it turned out a very fitting size, although i can’t always tell when coming from the back of the neck. i loved working in a single and i’m so in love with contrasting borders :)
have a great day!
It’s lovely. Feminine and sort of rustic too.
This is beautiful. Do you sell them? Or can I commission one from you? The colors of this neutral shawl look totally different inside and outside!
It is very lovely. I like the fact, that it’s recycled yarn.
I really dig the contrasting border too. Otherwise it might be just a little too neutral.
lovely!
Very pretty! It’s simple, but still has a touch of elegance to it. I like!
I really like this shawl. I much prefer a shawl that has an exactness and is not too lacy, as I don’t suit lacy particularly. And a very versatile colour.
It’s got a timeless beauty to it. Simple and warm, a very comforting sort of shawl. The thrifted yarn looks almost homespun.
I’m ashamed to say that I didn’t do anything near as nice for my thesis advisor. All she got was a thank you card! What a lucky lady.
Wow… that looks great!
Oh, that’s lovely. We’re starting to get warm down here in the South, but something like that would be nice for the in-between days we’re still having. Chilly and windy.
Lovely…what a perfect shawl. Simple, but versatile.