Catch-up: The shawl edition.

It's that time of the knitting year when a bazillion secret projects suddenly get let loose on the internet. My creaky, old blog is no exception. There were projects that were kept under wraps, some that happened spontaneously, and at least one that I'd been working on since September.

First things first! The gift I knit for my sister way back in September, never got around to mailing for her October birthday, and that was finally gifted in late December. I'm good at planning ahead, just not so good on the follow through!

Pattern: Swallowtail Shawl by Evelyn Clark, Interweave Knits Fall '06.
Yarn & Needles: Brooklyn Handspun Soft Spun, Odd Duck (about 2/3 ball) on US6/4mm needles.

This shawl is very pretty, if a little small. I contemplated adding a few repeats to the bud lace section but then didn't even attempt to calculate what would happen to the stitch counts if I did that, so I ended up knitting exactly as written. Maybe if I make it again I'd investigate the math a little more thoroughly. Still, my sister likes it and the colours in the yarn are fabulous, everyone is happy :)

The next shawl to fall off my needles was a spontaneous plane knitting project conceived mere hours before I flew to the UK. I ended up gifting it to my mother.

Pattern: Yvaine by Liz Abinante. Modified to make full use of the yarn (repeated 14 rows stockinette 8 rows seed stitch throughout) and to change the method of increasing (yo instead of m1l/r).
Yarn & Needles: Fleece Artist Somoko, Mermaid from the Ravelry Summer Camp Swap. Lovely yarn, very soft and warm. US8/5mm

The last shawl I knit was for me, out of some very special yarn. I won a skein of Plucky Knitter Merino Cashmere Nylon at Rhinebeck in 2008 and have been waiting for something special to make it into. I give you Lavalette:

It's beautiful and so, so soft. I definitely saved the best for myself!