Wednesday, May 30, 2007

The Shawl Passed Away...

Could we have a moment of silence for the dearly, or not so dearly, departed shawl...

The wretched little shawl reverted back to its wicked ways, and it had to be frogged. It was such a final death, that I even returned the unusued portion of yarn back to The Studio... This was not because I hate the pattern or lace knitting for that matter, it was the yarn that I did not care for.

Merriam-Webster lists one definition of progress to be forward or onward movement. In my own self-negotiating way, I suppose there may be a smidge of progress in regards to the shawl - but in a very abstract way...

From that I experience, I have learned a few things. I can knit lace, as well as read charts, and I will pick up the project again, but in another yarn. I have heard many knitters extole the virtues of alpaca yarn. I unfortunately am not one of them. I hate the hairy, albeit mild, quality that alpaca yarn has. In fact, I pretty much hate all hairy yarn, chief among them being mohair!

I think I am going to try the shawl again in a fingering weight yarn (once the socks are done), and maybe even in Trekking as I have a great big skein of purple that has been crying to come out of my stash drawer. Yes, just one drawer. I am not pitiful, that is just how I maintain my work flow and manage my yarn budget.

To comfort myself, I have started a sock (aren't you all surprised???) in Panda Cotton. I have read that some knitters just loathe that yarn as they feel like it is way too splitty. I have not really had much trouble with it, but you do have to pay attention.

3 comments:

Debi said...

RIP shawl! You'll be seeing my FPS in shawl heaven soon I believe. I LOATHE the laceweight baybee! I do love panda cotton tho :)

Gimme fingering weight, I can knit you the Brooklyn Bridge, but laceweight, feh! And the FPS has 3000 yards of it! EEEEEK!

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry...but you DID learn something, and that's a Very Good Thing...for all of us!! I was admiring some laceweight on e-bay this morning, but I'm getting to where I just hate having all this other yarn that needs used...as much as I enjoy buying yarn, I hate having STUFF around even more, even if that STUFF is yarn!
I'll be taking some things back to The Studio today, myself, speaking of cleaning out. I look forward to seeing the new project!!

Linda said...

The shawl will always live on in our memories! In economics we are told to ignore "sunk costs" (ie what's done is done), and by frogging the shawl you made the right decision for your future sanity.

PS I think alpaca is too hairy too!