Casino is my new cashmere shawl project—see how big it’s getting! (Don’t worry, it won’t be as big as the Wing of the Moth Shawl). This one is really turning out pretty. It is SO delicate, so fine, and soooo luxurious. I’m very happy with the rate of decrease and the slant I am seeing.
I don’t like shawls to be too-too much of a right triangle. I like them to be more shallow and long than that. I just think it is a prettier, sexier look on the shoulders. I know some of you want a closeup, so I prepared for that:
The edging is oak-leaf edging, and I am crazy for its sort-of droopy shape. I’m really loving this yarn. First of all, it’s just butter—kitten-soft, takes ripping back really well (cashmere can start pilling right away, but not this stuff!) I look forward to the hour each night when I can hold my cashmere project and allow the yarn to cast it’s spell over my achy, computer-wrecked hands.
Now, where was I? Oh yeah, the shawl. LOVE it! I love it so much that I started a lace stole to celebrate. I have been thinking that a holiday wrap would be nice—something delicate in a deep color that one could wear over last weekend’s dress to transform it into THIS weekend’s dress. After I picked out the stitch patterns I liked, the combination just screamed for a beautiful navy blue.
Yeah, that’s it—navy! A navy Starlight Evening Wrap—doesn’t that sound really good? I have to confess that red and green, while working quite well for branding identity of the Christmas holidays, are NOT my favorite holiday colors! I am much more affectionate toward deep blues and silver as the quintessential winter colors. Throw in a bit of translucent opalescence here and there and you got the whole winter season covered for everything from tableware to high heels.
With my stitch roadmap all planned-out, I headed up to the yarn closet to look for the right blue. I’m thinking of something the color of the late evening sky, just before it gets dark for good. As it turns out, I have next to no blue at all, and none in a light fingering weight. I did have one hank of cashmere that I had dyed an amazing blue, but it only has about 500 yards on it—not nearly enough. I pulled out some other things, but really, none of it was what I had in mind. I listlessly cast on some schaefer anne in a kind of purply rust variegated, but disliked it after just a few rows. (disliked it in THIS pattern only, I mean . . .)
Then came a box from my friend Mo, and in it was some vintage navy fingering yarn, quite thin as it happens. It was the perfect color—just what I had in mind. This was too good to be true! I have only worked on it a few times this week because I have been spending so much time on the cashmere. But I am thrilled.
I can’t wait to work through this first half of the stole and show you what I have in mind for the bottoms (it is worked from the neck down). The yarn is perfect—it’s soft, but has body, and is the perfect vintage feel I was looking for. An everyday yarn for sure, but able to be transformed into something glamorous. I bet it is going to wash up and block a treat.
On Wednesday, I had classes and finished one of the mermaid socks—I KNOW! No one was more surprised than me to be holding a finished sock. I have forgotten what it’s like . . .
I started the second one right then and there, so I am already a few inches into it. Nice. (I feel inordinately good about finishing up the one sock . . . why?)
Melissa had made quite a bit of progress on her Sangria Skirt when I saw her. She is working with the green classic silk—perfect for her coloring.
