Shawl Envy.
July 10th, 2004 by Donna
I have said over and over that I am not a shawl person. Perhaps I am a stole person (it’s less pointy, after all), but with all the things to knit in the world, I felt comfortable saying “No shawls for me, thanks.” And then I was overtaken by an unbelievably powerful wave of Must. Knit. This. Now. when I saw Susan’s Meadow Flowers Shawl (more details in her July 5th entry. It’s lacy, but not fussy, and I love the pop of color – orange is the new black after all. Will I be able to resist purchasing Knitter’s Stash (a book I’ve heard mixed things about) without looking through it first?
That’s my policy, by the way- I’ll buy a novel without having read it, but I won’t buy a knitting book without reading through it first – you lose the element of surprise, but you never, ever feel like you’ve wasted your money once you’ve spent it. Case in point? I would totally buy Knitting in the Old Way (which I thought I wouldn’t be interested in), but I was nonplussed with A Treasury of Rowan Knits; 80 patterns, and I just couldn’t get excited (unsurprisingly, the one I liked best was a cabled sweater, “Percy”). I keep wanting to be a Rowanette, but so far, I just heart Audrey. Sigh.
Yay! I finished the first sleeve of the Lush turtleneck, and purchased my first set of T-pins. While that would mean that I’m technically 40% done with the sweater, I’m probably going to frog most of the back to correct a row of twisted stitches that I can see, so they matter. The only downside? Lush does not like to be handled overmuch – it develops an angora halo quickly, and frogging and reknitting might stress it out. By the time I’m done with my first sweater, both of us will need a therapist!
I originally explored Knitter’s Stash by checking it out of the library. I kept renewing the book online… finally returned it after 4 months when the library refused to renew it another time. That’s when I put it on my buy list. Yes, the Meadow Flowers shawl is a doer…particularly having seen Susan’s rendition. But the book is worth it for the Constant Companion bag alone…the only thing I’ve completed from the book…so far.
Now that’s a ringing endorsement, if I’ve ever heard one – and even with my unofficial felted bag moratorium, I am a huge fan of Janet Scanlon.
Well, everything Sharon said. Seriously – I’ve got Knitter’s Stash checked out of the library right now specifically to look at the shawl Susan did. My Contant Companion is just a nice bonus.
I actually looked through Knitter’s Stash at the library today…was fairly unimpressed. I plan to check out Knitting in the Old Way as soon as it comes back in, because I think I’d enjoy it…but I’m really not enjoying the price.
Great information and site