Look, Ma - a FO!

Knitting does occur around these here parts. I know, I almost don't believe it myself, but I have proof: May I present to you my sister's Flower Basket shawl, graciously modeled by Mary.

Pattern: Flower Basket Shawl by Evelyn A. Clark
Yarn: Koigu KPM - I've lost the bands, so let's go with red, shall we? - 2 skeins
Needles: Bryspun US 5 29" circs
Mods: Went down a needle size
Final dimensions: 47" x 21"
Rating: A+

Knitting this pattern a second time was just as enjoyable as the first. Y'all know about my mad Koigu crush, and this semi-solid shade did nothing but reinforce it. I prefer tonal shading much more than variegation in my yarn when knitting lace, and this yarn runs from pinkish in spots to scarlet. I like this hand-dyed aspect of the shawl, and hope that my sister does, too.

I've yet to swatch for lace (does anyone swatch for lace?), so jumped right in on this one as usual. I went down a needle size, though, as I knit lace loosey goosey. While knitting, I felt like I was knitting very tightly, but the stitches really opened up after washing, and the next time I use Koigu I'll probably go down one more needle size. Wanting to squeeze as much as I could out of the yarn, I knit eight main repeats, and had just the right amount of yarn left over. You know that amount, don't you? I call it the Three Bears' amount: not too little that you're stressing over if you'll run out, and not too much that you're resentful that you had to dive into another skein to finish just a little bit. Ahh, just right.

Taking a trick I learned from my red Diamond Fantasy shawl, I first soaked the shawl in cool water with a big glug of vinegar. I didn't want the red to bleed and fade, and this set the color nicely. I then soaked the shawl in Soak. I have about a ten-year supply of Eucalan, but Soak samples have shown up now and then with yarn orders, so I gave one a try. I used the Celebration scent, and it worked fine. Much lighter fragrance than Eucalan, at least to my nose.

In other knitting news, CPH has officially entered the when will it be over? stage. I'm too lazy to check, but I think the sleeves are about halfway finished. I suck at speed knitting, and have resigned myself to last place in our mini-competition. Marie is on the cap shaping of her second sleeve, other Marie is on vacation (but her sleeves are close to being done, I think), and Mary is making fast work of hers. I'd like to have mine done by next week, but they're going on the back burner because today Carolyn and I start our Gothic Leaf mini-KAL. Kristine is making one, too. Time to go cast on for my scarf-sized version right now, so I'll have something to show you later this week!