I’m No Coward
Marcia correctly, and quickly, guessed that I used my handspun singles to knit a shawl. It’s a long overdue gift for a friend and I wanted to use a pattern that would work well with the dark colors in the yarn (despite the brightness of the photo in my last post, the yarn is actually quite dark). After combing Ravelry for ideas, I settled on the Luna Moth shawl.
Since the pattern calls for a much heavier yarn than the handspun I was using, my plan was to knit pattern repeats until I ran out of yarn. Toward the end, I monitored my progress by weighing the ball each time I completed two rows. I was using up about 1 gram of yarn for each row.
When I had 10 rows to complete, my scale showed this:
It would seem that I was possibly destined to run out of yarn. Of course, because I was using handspun, purchasing an additional skein was not an option. And I had no more of the roving so I would not be able to spin up any more. Admittedly, at worst I would be forced to rip out a few rows and bind off in the middle of a pattern repeat or rip out a few more rows and bind off at the end of the prior pattern repeat. At this point, though, I had about 350 stitches on the needle so I wasn’t too thrilled with either prospect. But, what the hell . . . I knit on, oblivious to the fact that my calculations might be tainted by my total inability to spin singles with any real consistency.
Did I make it?
Indeed I did (with a bit to spare).
Pattern: Luna Moth Shawl
Yarn: My handspun singles, spun from Wasatch Watercolors Corriedale-X roving in the Spring Violets colorway
Needle: 4.5mm Holz & Stein ebony circular
Modifications: I worked twice as many repeats as the pattern called for to make a larger shawl and compensate for the thinner yarn.
Oh, and my Sitcom Chic made her debut on Wednesday.
View blog reactions
Susan | knitting, shawls, lace
You look great in the SCC!! The shawl is lovely. Bring it on Saturday so we can drool.
Your shawl is absolutely stunning and your SCC is perfect on you!
Did you have to go in to rescue SC? Brave woman!
The shawl is beautiful. How many inches of yarn were left?
The Shawl is divine!! I love the pattern..but I think a bit too advanced for me yet..provisionals scare me still..
The shawl is beautiful and that’s a pattern I haven’t seen before. Love the sweater, too. As for ignoring the mess, I’m also very skilled in that area.
Beautiful shawl.
Teenager’s rooms always look like that.
Absolutely beautiful Luna Moth shawl! and the Sitcom cardi looks fabulous on you! (I’ve spent many years ignoring ‘daughter’s’ messy room)
Wow, gorgeous!! The Sitcom cardi looks great, too!
The shawl is great! As is the sweater. As for the room….cough, mine often looks like that, so who am I to judge!
I love that shawl and woo hoo that you didn’t run out of yarn.
The shawl is amazing. The shading in the pattern makes it look 3D. Sitcom cardi lovely too! My room was like that when I was a teenager so it seems hypocritical to expect anything different from my children!
Gorgeous shawl! SC looks great on you, too. Very flattering color. Oh, and my daughter is 2 and her room already looks like that half the time. Oy.
Ha! Typical. You’re always walking the razor’s edge when it comes to yarn quantities.
And yet somehow you always end up winning!
I think I am going to have to go queue Sitcom Chic in Ravelry now, dammit.
Both the shawl and sweater are gorgeous!
What a beautiful shawl!!! And Sitcom Chic too!!! You’re soooo good! I clean my daughter’s rooms by closing the doors;)
The shawl is beautiful! and I’m really liking SC - great color. Your daughter’s room looks pristine compared to my sons. I mean I see floor
i adore dark lace; yours is beautiful. i used to crochet a lot of black lace.
SC looks wonderful on you! And the shawl is gorgeous - I hope we’ll be seeing it before you send it off.
Wow, two fabulous finishes! The shawl is beautiful, and the sweater looks great on you.
That shawl is beautiful! What a great way to use your spinning.
Nice shawl! Where do you get that yarn karma? Clean living?
Whew! That is beautiful!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the colour of your sweater.
Seriously.
I came here from RAOK…
The shawl and the cardi are lovely! Your handspun turned out great.
Thanks for showing the beautiful shawl. I have just copied off the pattern.
The SCC is not dowdy looking! Our friends said that they were amazed when their dtr. moved out to Univ. as they then could see that the floor covering was on her room!! Smile!
What mess?! That looks spotless compared to my son’s room….and I manage to ignore it, too!
Beautiful shawl and sweater. Hope you are feeling better.
I’m knitting the same shawl at the moment!!! I’m using Bearfoot on size 7s, and kind of regret not using 8s… But I’ll just block the daylights out of it.
I love the way yours looks! Great job on the spinning!
shawl is stunning!! and your Sitcom Chic looks great on you
How do you do it? Knit so fast, I mean? I’m in awe of you.
Beautiful shawl and cardi. Branching out was my first lace. You are my mentor!
OK, now I haven’t gotten “into” the shawl craze yet. BUT, I have to tell you that this one is MAGNIFICENT!! Just absolutely gorgeous!! Nothing else to say, but gorgeous. My hat’s off to ya.
That shawl takes my breath away. It’s delicate and beautiful and intricate and incredible in the dark colors. What a gift!
Wow. You are one brave woman. I would be so nervous to go through all that lace knitting and be so close to running out of yarn. The shawl is breathtaking and I love the color of that yarn.
Sitcom chic looks fantastic as does the new shawl!