The colors are amazing. The picture on Misti's website doesn't do the yarn justice. I wouldn't have named it Blue Stone, because the greens and purples are so much more prominent. The colors remind me of the ocean on a stormy day. One of my favorite places in the world is Stump Beach, in Salt Point State Park. Amazingly, I don't have any pictures on this computer, but here is a sunny day shot I grabbed off Flickr:
(photo by Scott Kane, Flickr)
On
the far side in this picture are some trails that wind along the edge of the cliffs. I love to take a camping chair, a book, and a bottle of wine and hide
over the edge all day. People walk right by above and never notice
we're there. One wondrous day, I read for almost 12 hours straight
and was only chased away by the setting sun.
And this yarn reminds me of my favorite beach on a stormy day...
Becomes this:
Becomes... Stormy Seas:
I finished one other lace project before starting this one and it was hell. Swallowtail -- I hate nupps. But Kieran Foley's SeaScape was a joy to knit. You really wouldn't know it from the time it took to knit (15 months) but it was actually a quick knit. It just got put down often (two Christmases, birthdays...). It's an intuitive pattern. If you're an experienced knitter, you probably wouldn't need the pattern after awhile. I finished the last 20% on my recent trip to D.C. Something clicked and it flew, as if it were tired of being on the needles and wanted to be used. And now that I have it, I regret I didn't finish sooner because I love it! The pattern shows all the subtle, yet beautiful color changes of the yarn so beautifully.
I was going to knit until the yarn was gone, but after 7 repeats of the center pattern, I knew it was long enough. Perhaps, if I had had more confidence in my skills when I began, I would have added another repeat to widen the shawl. I used only 638 yards for a shawl that blocked to 19 x 70 inches!
I still have nearly a quarter of the skein left! My only modification was to do an extra repeat of the central pattern, seven instead of the suggested six.
I love this shawl! It's light as air and yet wonderfully warm. I thought pictures in the wind would show how airy it was but it wanted to fly away!
There is something wonderful about knitting, especially lace. I am willing to patiently (most of time!) work on a knitted project, investing untold hours on some blob. Occasionally, you stretch it out and "get an idea" of what it is going to look like, but you don't really know. And then it transforms, magically, into something that is as light as a breeze. It amazes me. I love it.
wow - your shawl is absolutely breathtaking!
i wish that i had a secret spot where i could go and read (or knit) for 12 hours - lucky you!
Posted by: melissa | January 20, 2010 at 04:06 AM
The only thing more amazing that the shawl is the beautiful woman who knitted it. (I am very glad that I bought you the yarn... you really are amazing to me.) :)
Posted by: YoursAlways | January 20, 2010 at 11:47 AM
Beautiful! And now I know exactly what i'm going to knit with some cashmere/silk yarn I have in my stash. Its the perfect colors for t hat project. Now I just have to remember to bookmark it.
Posted by: Rebekah | January 20, 2010 at 12:06 PM
Just lovely!
Posted by: Kym | January 20, 2010 at 01:36 PM
Look at you with all your finished objects putting the rest of us to shame. This stole is beautiful...you did a great job on it! Those colors seem like an absolute perfect match!
Posted by: Rachel | January 24, 2010 at 08:42 PM
If anyone out there has lost their knitting mojo, they should come here to find it. That shawl is hands down gorgeous (and you know it). Go you!
Posted by: nova | January 28, 2010 at 06:12 PM
Simply stunning! So delicate, and the colors really do remind me of the sea.
Posted by: Jodi | January 30, 2010 at 01:20 PM
you are so so amazing!! your creations are divine.
Posted by: heather | March 03, 2010 at 07:48 PM