Until I have caught up on my pattern writing, I have forbidden myself from knitting my own designs at the moment. There’s just too much bouncing around in that brain of mine, and I can’t handle it. I need to spend my brain energy finishing patterns now, not figuring out how to make them. So while I catch up, I still have to knit (because not knitting makes me very crazy) and I’m taking this opportunity to do some stash busting, and knit some patterns other people have designed that I’ve been dying to make myself.
So when our local yarn store went out of business awhile back, I stocked up on a ton of yarn at 30-40% off. One of the yarns I found was this gorgeous blue-grey merino in worsted. I normally like to buy a sweater’s worth of yarn, and this was about 1-2 skeins short of that. So I’ve been debating what to do with this particular bunch. I actually bought a pattern, and after spending one evening knitting it, I discarded it and knew I wouldn’t like the end result. Maybe a different yarn for a different time.
So I went back to my Ravelry search and discovered that I have enough to make the Ashby shawl, which I’ve been wanting to knit for a few years now. I just love the texture and thickness of this shawl. I really haven’t been much of a shawl wearer in the past, but this is so wonderful I’m sure I will be. I want to be. This shawl wants me to be a shawl wearer. While I have worn them from time to time to fancy events, this one is begging to be worn around town, worn by the fire with a good book, pretty much with me at all times this winter.
And in my favorite steely-blue color? Perfection.
It’s just been a few days and I’m whipping right through this pattern. It is very fun. It is that perfect tension between not brain-numbing or brain-breaking.
Best of all, I feel like it’s a step in the right direction. I’m taming my stash. A few more lovely projects, and maybe I’ll let myself buy some more yarn. I haven’t decided how many projects that will be.
My current read is Dancing with my Father which I borrowed from my friend, Sonja. I’ve never read a Sally Clarkson book I haven’t loved, and this one is making me weep. It’s honestly stuff that I’ve been working through for a few years, and not brand new information, but the idea of delighting in our Father God is falling fresh as I read about her journey. I’m loving it, but am tempted to add to all the underlining my friend did. So after I read it through, I may have to get one of my own, and mark it up some more. Who knows. We’ll see. Sometimes you don’t need new truth. Sometimes you just want to hear truth over and over because of the enormous confidence and inspiration it brings.
Tracey says
September 9, 2015 at 1:24 pmGretchen, I loved your lines, “I want to be. This shawl wants me to be a shawl wearer”. I understand that love for a shawl all too well and I have a feeling this shawl will live up to what you want.
I was on a stash knit only until I paid a visit to my LYS yesterday, but I really did need the yarn I walked out with, really I did.
sarah w. says
September 9, 2015 at 3:42 pmThis sentence also struck me. I know that feeling all to well. I don’t wear shawls. But I love shawls. I want to love to wear shawls. Perhaps I just need to knit the right one? Happy knitting.
Tracey says
September 10, 2015 at 9:23 pmHave you seen the Textured Shawl pattern? It made me a shawl wearer.
Gretchen says
September 9, 2015 at 7:09 pmLYS have a way of doing that. Yarn always popped into my hand when ours was open. How it ever went out of business is beyond me.
Jennifer says
September 9, 2015 at 2:07 pmThat shawl would make me want to be a shawl wearer too! I just don’t wear them and as much as I see people on the Yarn Along page making them, I often ask myself “why” From the minute I saw this one, I thought I could wear it!
Gretchen says
September 9, 2015 at 7:10 pmI’m not sure if it’s the styling or what, but I really do think I’ll wear it. I just have to prove it to myself I guess. 🙂
Elizabeth says
September 9, 2015 at 3:12 pmI am glad you have found books that are ministering to you! God bless! what a neat shawl also!
Gretchen says
September 9, 2015 at 7:11 pmThanks Elizabeth! It’s a soul book, that’s for sure.
Laura says
September 9, 2015 at 3:36 pmWhat a beautiful shawl! I’m not really a shawl wearer either, but I’ve discovered that crescent shaped ones seem to look better on me. Of course, there is that triangular hap shawl (Gudrun Johnston’s ‘Hansel’) that I made, that I’m sure will get lots of wear this winter. It really, really wants me to be a shawl wearer. And right now I’m working on a pretty complicated crescent shawl with lace, cables, and beads! I’m almost finished. I think it’ll mostly be my fancy-wear, but we’ll see. It’s really pretty.
Gretchen says
September 9, 2015 at 7:12 pmI like the crescent ones too. When I designed one, I did a crescent shape too, because I just love the elegance of them. I love the Hansel shawl too! That one has been on my list for awhile as well. It looks really easy, but appealing at the same time. I hope you like your shawl. Having fancy shawls isn’t a bad thing at all!
Kristin says
September 9, 2015 at 4:59 pmI’m not a shawl wearer either, but at a rummage sale recently, I found a beautiful shawl with arms. It’s sort of like putting on a sweater, only it looks like a shawl. It’s different than anything I’ve ever worn and I fell in love with it. I know I am going to wear it a lot this fall and winter!
Gretchen says
September 9, 2015 at 7:13 pmOooh, see one of the designs I’m working on writing is sort of like that. It also has lots of cables and texture. I can’t wait to get that one out! It still needs photography too…
Sarah says
September 9, 2015 at 9:46 pmLove the color, Gretchen! My mom was knitting Ashby in a gorgeous goldenrod color a couple years ago but I think she frogged it which is disappointing because I wanted to inherit it. Hehe I guess I better knit myself one instead! Based on where my heart is kind of sitting right now, I suspect I would benefit from a Sally Clarkson book..
Lucy Bowen says
September 10, 2015 at 8:22 pmBeautiful shawl that will be perfect in that yarn.