New Cast On

Meet my latest obsession:

Isn't that the most interest texture and pattern? I've known I was going to make this one since I first saw the pattern in knitty. I was just waiting for the right yarn.

I settled on this Blue Face Leicester 2/8 from Fleece Artist in a lovely brown / grey-blue colourway. Remember my last BFL project? It was the cables sweater I finished for Troy earlier this year. The one I couldn't stop going on and on about how much I LOVED the yarn. This BFL is from a different company, but it's just as true. It feels so soft and silky going through my fingers. Just lovely lovely. Mmm. (Here I am going on and on again!)

Once I had the yarn, I was waiting for the time. This summer was out, but realizing I may have a little time to knit during the Belinda class, I got it started last week. (I can knit during class, but I can't spare the concentration to actually start a project and get it set up.)

Once it was started, there was no stopping it. This pattern fits many of the requirements for an obsession. It's pretty. It's interesting. It's done with a colour-changing yarn. It's done in small units. Every unit leads into the next unit. It just goes on and on, and so do I!

It's comprised of columns, but instead of knitting all the way across the row, you knit across columns 1 and 2 for a while, then columns 2 and 3, then 3 and 4 etc. Sort of like a crab walk. (Sort of like Entrelac knitting for those of you that know what that means.) This has worked out well for the colour changes as well. The short rows let the short colour sections "pile up" on themselves and make a blotchy look instead of a spread out stripey look. I like it.

I think the colours are truer in the top picture, but this picture

shows you how the yarn has changed: the first half is pale with

subtler changes while the second half is much darker with more

dramatic colour changes.

I'm hoping this shawl will fill the need I have for a shawl to wear in church. I'm always freezing and need something neutral enough and dressy enough to wear with almost anything. I really like how this has a lacy look without being a floral, leaf, or other traditional lace pattern. Don't get me wrong, there's a place for that type of lace but I wanted to be really sure I wasn't wearing anything "granny-ish."

I think this pattern is architectural in form. I love the negative space between the columns and how you can't help but see circles even though only one half of it is actually round. I can't wait to see how it will block out.