Foolin' around

The pity party is done, though I am still wishing and hoping that paper can fly.  Instead I shall focus on the knitting.  Knitting is always a consolation.  There is always something to knit around here.  And always something new to cast on.  This is new, but it just replaces something I was unhappy with. Therefore, it is not 'new' new.

The fir cone pattern for the center of a Shetland shawl from Cheryl Oberle's Folk Shawls, knit from a cone of unnamed yarn that looks suspiciously Shetland like. It looks a little stringy and gray right now, but once washed after it is knit, this yarn blooms and becomes something very fine. I am looking forward to the finish!  And the gray is not so gray.  It really is a soft heathery green, perfect for a Shetland style shawl.

This is being knit instead of that lovely Onerva, for my daughter in laws Grandmother.  I love the Onerva pattern and will finish it for myself, but I just was not happy with the quality of my knitting.  The reverse side of stockinette is always the true test of a knitters skill, and I am not there yet. My skills are not ready for that challenge.

So here I am back in the land of Shetland, with a slightly bigger yarn, and a much faster to knit pattern.  Well maybe not a faster knit, but surely a more fun knit than a large centre of stockinette (and yes, there is a wee bit of wussiness involved here). It is a stockinette lace but the pattern hides my knitterly flaws.

I am not going to knit the same border on this shawl as what is shown in the book. I like the border from another just a few pages farther on better, so traditional without all the traditional parts.  The goal is to make a beautiful shawl for a sweet lady.

I have a trip to town and a hundred errands but this afternoon is reserved for knitting on Mr. Needles vest.  I'm looking forward to it.