Kiri Shawl

This is the shawl before blocking. Relaxed, it was 62 inches at the widest point, and 29 inches down the 'spine'.

Here it is, taking over most of my living room. At this point, it was 81 inches wide, and 36 inches down the spine. I wet blocked it, and having not done that before, was quite surprised just how much the wool stretched. The sheet prevented the carpet from getting too soggy...

I'm glad I had an appointment to get my hair coloured after pinning this out, I don't think I could have resisted leaving it alone otherwise!

Design: Kiri
Designer: Polly Outhwaite of All Tangled Up. Pattern available here (free)
Yarn: Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn, 2 x 100g skeins.
Total cost: £18.50
Needles: 4mm circular, used as straights

The finished product. It's softer and warmer than I thought it would be knitting it up.

This shawl took a couple of weeks of effort to knit, and it was my focus project. At the end, there were over 450 stitches in a row. The Noro was easier to work with than the mohair I used for my first shawl, and the uneven texture doesn't really show, especially after blocking. I'm not sure that I would use this yarn for socks, though.

I wish the edges had scalloped a little more, but otherwise, I'm very happy with this.

I like the colour changes, and it gives off a very spring like vibe. Fortunately, I was able to join in the second ball with only a little wastage, and I have enough left over for a pair of fingerless mitts or similar.

The pattern was very easy to follow, and the regular repeats meant it was easy to track and correct mistakes, although I generally did that by fudging rather than ripping everything back. I can't see the mistakes in it now, and if I can't then no-one will notice!

I'm going to take great care of this, I don't want to lose it like the last shawl I made! I've spotted a lovely fabric rose pin in just the right shade of pink to wear with this ... over the top? Maybe, but there will certainly be no one else wearing such a shawl :o)