Finally! A Shawl!

10 in 2010 unveiling.  This shawl is out of order, but I need to take photos for the post that unveils the next shawl and, well.  I keep forgetting.  Or it is too dark.  Or the camera battery is dead.  Or I'm knitting.  Or watching a football game.  Or I'm just too lazy.  Whichever it is, I don't have the one photo I need to complete my vision or the story I want to tell.  So, instead for Shawl # 7 of 10 in 2010 you are getting a look at Shawl #8 for 10 in 2010.  You have no idea how much this bothers me. 

First, some back story.  This shawl is a wedding shawl, knitted for the daughter of a good friend of mine.  As you might guess, if you know me, I totally obsessed over this.  I was worried about a lot of things.  First, that the shawl would have a 'not dressy enough' feel to it.  I mean, it is a Swallowtail Shawl, a pattern that I have knit before and it felt, in a way, too simple.  What I often forget is that most of the people seeing the shawl are not knitters and anything looks fabulous to them.  I also take for granted that this knitting thing is something that is second nature to me.  A little like breathing or walking to most people.  And knitting lace doesn't come easy to all knitters either.  After weeks of getting used to that idea that this shawl would be perfect I had a new thing to obsess over.

The color.  I collected a few different "ivory" lace yarns to compare to the actual dress.  I was so worried that the shawl would look too yellow or pink next to the dress.  I mean, there are so many shades of ivory!  So off to the dress shop I went with my yarns of all different shades and price points.  My smartest move that day was going with Cyndi (bride's mom).  In every way that I over think and obsess, she is laid back and relaxed.  While she was off ordering a flower girl's dress I was comparing and rejecting down to two yarns that I just couldn't decide between.  One was all merino and was a really good match, but the other was Zephyr, that wonderful wool and silk blend that I love to knit lace with.  The silk gives it a sheen that reflects light so beautifully and combined with the wool blocks out and holds the shape of the lace shawl so well.  After much internal debate (on my part), Cyndi walks over, takes two seconds looking and says that of course we should go with the Zephyr, that the color is of course "close enough" and the silk blend is the deal closer.  Oh!  The stress I could alleviate by embracing "close enough"!  I mean it, I envy those who are "close enoughers".  It is a quality that I need to cultivate.

You would think that I would be all ready to go, right?  Right. To be fair I should admit that I was totally copying zibor's shawl (ravelry link).  I saw it and read about the beading and thought that I would love to do that.  Zibor used Swarovski crystals and after pricing them (whoa! pricey!) decided that regular beads would do so I got some and cast on.  The thing about clear beads is that they look, unlike all the colored and pearlized beads, flat.  I kept showing it to people wondering if I should find other beads and people kept telling me that it looked beautiful.  So I kept knitting.  And doubting.  I really didn't like the beads and even the "close enoughers" couldn't convince me that they were good.  So I shopped for different beads only to have similar results.  And then I stopped knitting, letting the internal debate rage on and on.

I am FORTY-SEVEN YEARS OLD!  People!  When will I just KNOW MYSELF?!  Can you even guess the amount of time in my life that I have spent trying to make something work, not being happy with it and then after getting close to finishing or living in analysis paralysis I give in to what I knew all along would just make me happy or be the best in then end?  I splurged on the Swarovski crystals.  It was for a BRIDE!  Brides should SPARKLE!!!!

After all that (have you noticed that all my issues are internal?) the rest was easy.  Even though the Swarovski crystals do not have a hole large enough to use even the smallest crochet hook and I had to improvise a tool to get them on the yarn, the knitting finally started flying off the needles.  When things are right......

• Pattern: Swallotail Shawl by Evelyn Clark (free download here)
• Yarn: Jaggerspun Zephyr Wool-Silk in ivory
• Needles: size 4
• Swarovski Crystals: approximately 1000 placed in the center of the lozenges of the first chart, in place of nupps in the second and in the spines of the points on the border
• Cast On: July 29, 2010
• Bound Off: August 9, 2010
• Blocked: August 12, 2010
• Wedding: August 21, 2010 (I only point this out because LOOK! No last minute finishing!)

While the limitations of time and my talent with a camera made it impossible for me to capture the true sparkliness of the crystals, trust me.  They were fabulous.  The crystals reflected and refracted the light beautifully.  Fatigue kept me from getting any photos of the bride, I stole that one from facebook.  The fatigue is a story for another day, it also involves the whole knowing myself and making changes when I first think of them and not waiting until the last minute.  It also involves a Swallowtail Shawl.  I feel like I keep telling the same story over and over again.

2010. Seventy-five.  NaBloPoMo. 8/8.  I KNOW!  I am a day behind.  I promise that by the end of the week I will have caught up.  This posting every day is whipping my *ss.  I keep forgetting and spending the night knitting or fall asleep.  I'm working it out....

Comments

[Anna]

Pure magic!
I am in awe of your talent!

[CyndiG]

It was/is an amazingly beautiful shawl, and Claire did indeed sparkle. You are a wonderful friend, Terry!

[Ruth]

Beautiful shawl, well worth the ripping and re-knitting with the crystals. The bride is shimmering, she looks so happy!

[Carole]

It's wonderful. Perfect and gorgeous, just like everything you knit. I know how you worry and obsess over the details, though, so I'm glad you got through this and were happy in the end.

[Jennifer]

Simply stunning! Beautiful shawl for a beautiful bride.

[Karen]

Absolutely beautiful! I am a "close enougher" and sometimes I wish was a perfectionist. I let things slide and spend time regretting. I think both sides need to find a middle ground.

[margene]

Because you are you, you create the most amazingly beautiful shawls. Finding balance and middle ground is not easy for anyone and you actually do...at the last possible moment. The happy bride is proof you made the right choice. You deserve to celebrate your prowess!

[Nora]

So very beautiful. I'm inspired to finish my Swallowtail in progress now. Did you do 19 repeats of the Budding Lace?

[Lucia]

That shawl is stunning. I so totally do that dithering thing! In fact, I think you may have gotten it from me. Or I got it from you. Anyway, we both have it, only mine is usually about something like a blanket square.

[Maureen]

I vacilitate back and forth as you do...in the end, I usually knew the "best choice" right from the very beginning! Why do I do this to myself...it's because I want it to be "perfect" and fall head over heals in love with it...which is exactly what happened when I saw the marriage of Swallowtail and Swarovski crystals...perfection!

You've encouraged me more than you'll ever know with your knitting and blog...how nice to hear from you recently! I've missed you whole bunches!

[Martha]

"Close enough" is for when you're seaming the underarm on a sweater you've made for yourself, not for a shawl you're knitting for a bride. You were right to follow your instincts!

[Cookie]

Beautiful! All that pondering and worrying over a project is normal, right? ;^)

[Suzanne]

Beautiful!

[Gail H.]

The beauty of your lace knitting reflects the thought and care you take with it - and
your quest for perfection creates lovely results. I'm glad you were happy with it after all that agonizing! The bride obviously was!

1000 crystals!!

[Laurie]

Both the story and the shawl are amazing. WOW.

[Kathy]

Gorgeous, Terry. And those crystals were the right call. As I say to my kids, "take pride in your work." You always do and it shows!