Before we dive into the knitting, dear Horde, you have sent melodramatic messages claiming that your favorite series has been orphaned, making demands, offering organs and firstborns, and generally being very chalant.
I asked Mod R how her inbox was, and she sent this.
We are real life human people. You are applying a mountain of pressure, and we haven’t even announced the serial, let alone start it.
Chill, please.
Back to the shawl.
Last year I wore a plain black dress to a business thing, and Kid 2 told me, “You know what it needs? One of those dramatic sparkly shawls things that you hang on your arms.”
I didn’t have anything formal enough, so I decided to make one. I wanted fall colors and I wanted sparkles and drama, so I went onto Miss Babs site, got me some Estrellita yarn and tried to do something with it.
How it started:
How it ended up:
Preblocking:
I posted it to Facebook asking if it should be blocked, and everyone suggested blocking.
Traditional shawl on a tree pic.
Yarn
Miss Babs Estrellita: Volcanic Eruption and a teal colorway which is no longer available, but Brooke or Rainforest might be a good match. The third yarn came from the stash and it is a speckled cream colorway. If you wanted to stay with Miss Babs, the Neutral 3 might be a close match.
The pattern: Summer Solstice by Janina Kallio: Ravelry and Woolenberry.
This was a very easy, mindless pattern. It’s garter stripes with very easy lace. It’s basically knit 2 together and yarn over sequence. Perfect for TV.
Alterations:
- This was fingering yarn on US 8 5.00 mm needles. I didn’t want a warm shawl, since it’s Texas. I just wanted something pretty and dramatic, so it is large and very airy.
- Stripes 1: 4 rows of cream, 2 rows of volcanic
- Stripes 2: 4 rows of cream, 2 rows of volcanic, 2 rows of cream, 2 rows of volcanic, rinse and repeat
- Stripes 3: 4 rows of volcanic, 2 rows of cream
- My edge where the increases were made wasn’t great, so I ran a row of single crochet around it to strengthen it.
I changes the stripes because I wanted more visual interest. When you wear shawls in interesting ways, the reverse side is exposed, and with this shawl it looks kind of awesome.
I will model the shawl tomorrow, after I get my hair colored. We will be at Texas Book Festival in 2 weeks (more to come later), and you do not want to see my hair right now. It is a mess of grey and weird cinnamon. I am self-conscious about it.
This wasn’t quite the formal stole I was aiming for, but it was such a fun project, and I love it anyway.
It’s so pretty! It definitely makes me wish I could knit/crochet. 😀
Thanks for sharing!
First? This is a glorious day, because this will never happen again.
Certified!
Love the video with the kittens. Great reflection of the Horde comments
+1
So beautiful! I can’t be first, can I???
Pretty! And my mom was just asking if I want something knitted for Christmas… hmm…
Ohhhh, those look pretty.
While I knew at some point the Horde would need to be told to sit down and chill, I really thought it wouldn’t be until after the serial started.
We can be quite the drama llamas. Sigh.
Very pretty! it will look great with black and at least 3 other colors. I love mindless patterns that looks wonderful. Right now I am knitting dishcloths/washcloths/ hand towels out of cotton yarn. The whole famly seems to want them. They are also mindless and I got great yarn off the sale rack.
Thank you both for all the great words! If you write them I will buy them!
That’s the Horde for you. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Me? I’m fluffy in whatever serial you want to do.
That’s one very pretty shawl. My mom used to tell me the shawls that look so complicated are the easiest to knit. She also told me that if I wanted to have something knitted look so complicated, use larger needles than what shows on the yarn label. I haven’t done that yet.
I’m in the process of crocheting a blanket in Red Heart’s Coats and Clark Rainbow. The boarder is going to be green to pick up all the colors in the body of the blanket. Red Heart discontinued the Rainbow color, so I was able to get it at clearance pricing. 😊
Everyone is so ambitious! I had to give up on the larger crochet projects. I am currently sticking to little projects like baby hats and kimono booties as well as crocheted doll blankets. Mindless work that can be done with a bamboo hook while traveling tends to come in handy. Right now I am making Barbie clothes and remembering why I dislike making them! One of the local farm stores had them on sale in their toy aisle and I bought a couple for donations. The clothes will be in a plastic bag taped to the box. Have a happy weekend!
Well done! I love knitting shawls…
That’s a lovely, lovely shawl. Gorgeous.
And. Um. You all must love kittens very much, to put up with us. Thank you.
+1
it’s gorgeous
When you annouced a new series (SQEEEEEEE!) I just put a smug Mona Lisa smile on my face and wait patiently as a good loyal horde follower should as I know I will be rewarded. In my head I am bouncing off the walls dancing to Viking Hip Hop and D&D Travern songs (Stomp the Night and Burn the Tavern Down).
It’s really beautiful! It’s time for me to research a new project and get the needles Out of summer storage.
That’s so beautiful. thanks for posting the pics. And take your time. Don’t let us ruin your day. Seriously thanks for all you’ve already written.
Whatever you decide on will be much better than nothing. You two are incapable of writing a bad story.
Thank you in advance…
Gorgeous shawl! Love the colors and the lace. You will look great in it!
Beautiful shawls!! Love the colors 😍
it is beautiful.
love the fall wreath on the front door. birds keep trying to nest in mine and poop all over my front step.
and I am 100% chill over here. as much as I love a serial, I love rested, relaxed, joyful, inspired authors even more.
Gorgeous! I love the stripes!! It looks so complicated but you are saying it’s not. I’ll take your word for it. lol
We just moved very, very north and I had one of those passing thoughts that turn into an obsession that I need to start making warm hats and scarves and such for my family. I had a right trigger thumb as a baby and when I do large crotchet projects it hurts. But maybe a hat or chunky shall/scarf wouldn’t hurt to bad.
No pressure from here. Just excitement for the possibilities in the future. No matter what it is, it will be wonderful because you both care so much about your craft. And if it nothing until Maggie then Que sera sera, like I tell my daughter, it will be okay. 🤗
I am in awe of your talent honestly. We know you’re going to downplay it, Ilona, but it’s seriously impressive. Take the compliments. *blows kiss*
Beautiful work on the shawl. People need to practice their patience and appreciate all the hard work that goes into the fantastic tales you weave. I appreciate that you’ve chosen to share them and can’t express enough how much all of your series mean to me.
Blocking was the way, that went from beautiful to amazing. I would wear that even if the Mars Family gave it to me during our family war.
Pardon my ignorance as I don’t knit but I am curious: what is blocking?
The final process after the knitting is done, where the hand-knit garment is wetted, steamed, or sprayed in order to relax the fibers, then lightly stretched or evened out and shaped into its finished form.
A finished piece is given a warm bath (“wet blocking”) or steamed, then laid out to dry. This helps even out the knitting. Sometimes pins and/or special thin blocking wires are used to help the piece dry to specific dimensions, have a nice clean edge, etc. In the case of lace, blocking the piece helps open up the stitches so you can see the pattern better.
Thank you for asking the exact same question I had!
That really does look gorgeous, I hope it makes you feel good wearing it 😊
It’s beautiful! I love your color choices.
Stunning, delicate and beautiful. You AND the shawl! I love whatever that lace-knit is. So elegant, so whimsical.
Love it! Thanks for sharing.
Every knitting project is better with Miss Babs. Seriously. Half my stash is Miss Babs. And Janina Kallio writes the best patterns that are simple, gorgeous, and look like they’re intricate. I think I’m up to 9 projects of hers finished. Most are Miss Babs.
Lovely!
Love the shawl. Makes me want to restart the knitting project that has been sitting for a while.
The shawl is gorgeous! I love the colors of the yarn.
“Traditional shawl on a tree pic” is a thing?
What rock have I been living under for the 20 years I’ve been crocheting?
It is a very pretty shawl. That tree totally looks ready for a night out on the meadow 🙂
I hang stuff on trees a lot: https://ilona-andrews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/shawl-in-progress-1.jpg
https://ilona-andrews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/green-stole-1.jpg
It’s an Ilona thing 😌 https://ilona-andrews.com/blog/a-happy-cardigan/
We usually get the full outdoor display, which lets us see dimensions and daylight colours 😍
That cat video is hysterical and I can see how it is a lot like wrangling us unwieldy horde! I hope you know that most of us will be satisfied with anything you gift us and understand that you cannot please everyone all the time. I can only imagine how the Horde’s enthusiasm can be a double edged sword at times.
that is absolutely gorgeous!
lovely! wish I knew how to crochet like that i do make good Afghans and throws though.
It looks amazing! Enjoy wearing it!
beautiful!! it reminds me that I have an unfinished shawl to crochet. oops!!
actually… 2. so busy reading, I forget which projects I’ve abandoned!!
A fabulous shawl !
The horde is mighty but also sometimes like an overtired toddler in tantrum mode shoutjng more more more . Its really a complement becazie we all love your writijg so much !
Look after yourselves and don’t work too hard ! The horde can be chalant and patient – honest .