Nan's birthday

 
The other week I had to take a break from my giant blanket of tiny patches (456 down, 216 to go!), to make a birthday gift.  I didn't particularly want to take a break at the time as I was getting on swimmingly with my little squares and I wanted to carry on going with the flow but, I'd been planning this pressie for my Nan for ages and I knew she'd love it, so a break is what I took.

I have the perfect yarn in mind for the project.  A lovely skein of Manos Lace (Vidia - 6670) that I've had for a little while, but the colours are just right for her.  All I needed was the perfect pattern.  In the end I settled on the Olso Walk Shawl by Susanna IC.

Fine yarn, beads and a delicate lace knit pattern couldn't be more different to the intense crochet squares I had been hooking up and actually it turned out to be a welcome interlude.

This shawl was a delight to make, adding all the teeny tiny beads made it slow work, but not unpleasant for that and the lacy pattern kept things nice and interesting.  I don't do an awful lot of lace knitting but it does make a lovely change of pace when it does happen.

It also never fails to amaze me, how the crumpled heap of knitting like this...

Can be turned into a gorgeous, patterned, fine and drapey shawl with just the application of a little water, like this...

That's one of the things I enjoy about knitting lace, the blocking part is so much fun.

In fact, I enjoyed everything about making this shawl so much, including the finished article, it really was quite a wrench to have to give it away.

I guess that just means I'll have to make it all over again one day.... but, I think I could bare that.



S x