Silk Shawl

I have been knitting a shawl from the Ann Collins silk yarn given to me by a friend - the silk from which I made a feather and fan scarf last month. I like knitting triangular shawls so decided to give it a try in this yarn.

After sorting through a lot of patterns I chose one from  Knit Prayer Shawls: 15 Wraps to Wear  by Leisure Arts. It isn't the best book for describing the prayer shawl ministry but it has great patterns, is a handy size for carrying around and all the shawls are wearable.

I chose a shawl called  Comfort Abides  - a diamond pattern, knitted in variegated wool in the pattern - so easy to imagine it in the variegated silk yarn I had.

It has four pattern rows with purl in between each. I made quite good progress with it - although I found the yarn quite slippery. I dropped a stitch several times and had great difficulty retrieving it. It has, however, a lovely feel.










It has taken me a couple of weeks to complete. Although it isn't complex, it requires concentration.

Once again, the finished product when still on the needles, looks like a rag.

I am a loose knitter and cast off loosely, as the pattern indicated, only to discover the result was far too tight, so I undid the cast-off row and swapped to a 10mm needle (I used 5mm for the shawl), cast off using that and the result was about right.

I then blocked it on my study carpet, hoping for the gossamer miracle.

And yes, it was granted! Mind you, there is a patch where I lost my way a bit with the pattern when I had to retrieve dropped stitches.

 

The Ann Collins yarn seems to go on forever. I still have enough for at least another scarf, if not a shawl.