Wednesday, July 13, 2011

A break for bereavement

Hugs is going on hiatus for a few days owing to a death in the family; I expect to be back here and posting more ridiculous projects and procrastinations sometime next week (or maybe I will take a much-needed vacation out of town, in which case I will get Hubie to stand in for me.)

While I'm gone, I hope you'll consider possible stash yarns for the free mystery shawl knitalong I will begin posting sometime early in August, the exact date depending on when my Twisted Fiber Art yarns arrive so as to allow me another test run for yardage.  As I mentioned when I described my trials and tribulations developing this pattern, it was born of the many worries I had when conditions first began to worsen seriously for the man my family is now mourning, and I would love to participate in a collective knit of it while we adapt to life without him.

The essentials:

it should take around 650-675 yards of fingering weight (I used just over 600 in heavy fingering) but I might take that number up a little after I've completed my fingering weight runthrough

it’s a top-down triangle (which is to say, the rows get longer the farther along you go, sorry!) in variations on super simple lace patterns - if you can K2tog and yo, you can do this - separated by borders to make it easy to run in ends, with a different border along the bottom

by 'run in ends' I mean I designed it to be adaptable to using up stash, including different colours if you wish and to some extent fibers

the lace patterns are sufficiently un-elaborate to accommodate variegated or self-striping yarn and I'm using some of the latter in this next runthrough paired with a semisolid, but I think it will be cleanest in a semisolid or solid

the result is an elegantly (in my one-colour version, anyway) rustic reversible shawl a la the BBC’s period productions, the like of which I spent many an hour watching during this very long illness and the tumultuous year preceding it

which explains why the shawl is called 'Escapist'.

Hugs to you all, and see you soon!

7 comments:

Unknown said...

So sorry for your loss, Mary. I'll be thinking about you.

justmeandtwo said...

So very sorry to hear of your loss. Wishing you peace.

Jean Ashley said...

I am so sorry to hear about your loss. Take care, and know that even blog-lurkers like me people are sending good, kind thoughts your way.

Kate/Massachusetts said...

((hugs)) I'm sorry for your loss.

Anonymous said...

It seems you've had a lot of such losses in your young life. May the Bible's promise at John 5:28, 29 give you comfort and hope.

Mary Keenan said...

Thanks for all your kind words, guys... I really do appreciate the support. It's been a tough few days, but it looks like I'll be back again sometime Tuesday just a little the worse for wear. So much has been happening I can't wait to tell you about! Amazing what can happen while you're grieving.

Yvette said...

Take all the time you need to catch your breath. We'll be here when you get back.
Looking forward to your mystery shawl.