A soothing, satisfying knitting project
I chose this pattern because I was kinda stressed and wanted a calming project, and true to its name, it was just what I needed. I always love knitting with handspun, and shawls are great because you don’t need to worry about fit or gauge, just drape.
For this project I chose Provence, a lavender and green yarn I spun back in 2020 that was just waiting for the right project. The hand dyed fiber was from Nest Fiber Studio right here in Boulder, and it’s a blend of Falkland wool, silk, and mint fiber. Yes, mint, the plant! I expected it to smell minty but it didn’t at all. I spun this on a Schacht Sidekick, a genius little workhorse of a folding spinning wheel, which I ended up selling later but kind of miss now. Due to COVID lockdown it took me just 4 months to spin just under 13 ounces of fiber, which is pretty quick for me. I ended up with just over 1,000 yards of sport weight 3-ply, and a bit of chain ply with the inevitable leftover singles.
The knitting pattern is Some ME Time by the lovely Argentine designer Joji Locatelli. I find that her patterns are consistent and easy to follow. I also recommend Joji’s YouTube channel if you are so inclined, because her presence is so smart and charming and real.
In early October, I caked up my yarn and cast on. The pattern starts with a garter tab, which I don’t normally love, but it does make getting started a lot quicker than, say, casting on 200 stitches. I loved knitting this right from the beginning, partly because it starts with easy garter stitch and partly because I really enjoyed watching the colors change with each row.
The pattern is written for both sport weight and DK weight versions. It is very clear about making the shawl as large or small as you like, and tells you how to determine how much yarn you’ll need to bind off so you don’t run out. I finished up by early December. I did five repeats of the easy lace pattern, which took a little over 800 yards of yarn (I’m using the rest in a scrappy blanket project).
As many years as I’ve been knitting, I’m always amazed at the difference blocking makes. I pinned out some points on the lower edge that weren’t necessarily there in the pattern, but I think it makes the lace a little fancier. I’m so, so pleased with the result. We’re heading into the dark of the year at the moment, but this shawl gives me hints that spring will indeed follow.
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