Sunday, May 15, 2011

The shawl

So, for the last two weeks it seems like everyone has been talking about The Dress. Actually, scratch that. They're talking about The Dresses, both Kate Middleton's and her sister Pippa's. (I liked both. Kate's was pitch perfect for a princess-to-be, and Pippa's ... well, that girl rocked her dress.)

But here's what I'm obsessed with:



If there was ever a piece of knitwear with my name on it, this is it. Cozy warm. Check. Cashmere. Check. Feminine without looking old ladyish. Check. IT'S GREEN! Check. (For those of you who don't know me IRL, I have green eyes and wearing green makes them look even greener. Startling green, I've been told. Actually, I get a lot of "You're wearing contacts, aren't you?" On top of this, my hair is auburn and, well, green is just my color.)

So I've been stalking the net to get info on this shawl. It looks like it comes knitwear designer Minnie Rose and retails for nearly $300 at Saks Fifth Avenue. Forget that ... I've got knitting needles. Cashmere knitting wool is quite pricey, but luckily there are blends of cashmere and merino wool that will give me the drape I'm looking for without the steep cost.

Apparently I'm not the only knitter/fan obsessed with The Shawl. There's a Ravelry group for it, and as I write this, dozens of knitters around the world are working on a knock-off pattern.

Till then, I've started Kate Gagnon Osborn's Oscilloscope Shawl, which appeared in the Fall 2010 issue of Knitscene. It's a fun knit, a nice break from the two fussy lace projects currently on the needles. I started this on Friday, which is why I'm calling it my Friday the 13th shawl:


(Apologies for crap photo. Taken with cellphone under incandescent lighting on a dismal Sunday afternoon.) The yarn is Cascade 220 superwash in a dark, foresty green -- I think the colorway is called Shire or something like that. When I do my "Kate" shawl, I'm going to look for something more olive green.