A Shawl part two.

I've noticed that while our life is in this current (temporary) state of disruption and flux, what with new homes, schools and jobs to contend with, that all I want to do is sew and crochet. I just really need to make pretty things, I need the distraction. More importantly, I need to finish pretty things, to feel the satisfaction of completing a project no matter how small. 

Last year I made my mother in law a shawl as a Christmas present. I enjoyed the process of making it and liked the pattern so much that I decided that, actually, I was a shawl person after all and that I quite wanted to make one for myself.

My handmade scarves and cowls tend to be quite chunky and structured in shape, and quite brightly coloured as a rule. But this time I wanted something quiet, something muted and gentle to wrap around my neck a few times. I ended up choosing a very fine yarn to give a soft, lacy appearance to the shawl. I chose BFL sock yarn in Driftwood by Eden Cottage Yarns mainly because I just loved that blush pink-but-not-quite-pink. The pattern is the South Bay Shawlette which is in US crochet terms but very simple to translate.

One skein wasn't quite enough so I bought a second, making this quite an expensive project but I think it was worth it as I cannot abide a too-short scarf. It's pretty big overall, longer than my arm span, and hard to photograph too as you can see here.

I wear it like a scarf, with the point at the front and the two long ends wrapped back on themselves.

I really love it. I've worn it almost every day this week. My friend Abigail took this photo of me wearing it last Saturday at Wisley. It doesn't really go with that hat, but it was cold. I needed that hat.

I hope you all have a nice weekend. Mild temperatures and blue skies are forecast here which means that all of Britain is convinced that spring has arrived. My mum is talking about cleaning out the summer house so she can sit in it and bask in the sun. After many years living in Yorkshire I am more wary, however, remembering all those snowy Aprils and how long it took for it to feel really, truly warm. I'm interested to see how spring feels now we live on the south coast.