Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Shawl pin to the rescue

You'll recognize this beautiful grey and pink shawl, I'm sure, from its longtime presence on the Hugs banner:


It's 'Sugared Violets' by Rose Beck, and I'm going to shock you: I almost never wear it.  I know - crazy, right?  I used my very best cashmere-blend yarn for this shawl, and I worked hard to get the lace absolutely perfect, and I just don't wear it.  I will sometimes throw it on to keep my neck warm under a winter coat, but never to show off.  Because I can't keep it on me.

Truly.  The ends look so cute and curly until one slides off the back of my shoulder - and one always slides off the back of my shoulder.  I've tried tying the ends, but they just look lumpy and awkward and don't do credit to my knitting or Rose Beck's pattern at all.  So unless I have the whole thing stuffed securely under a coat, I don't bother taking it out of its cubby in the first place.

Until the other day when I really needed something warm and pretty at my neck for an outing, and I remembered this:


Cue the chorus: It's A Shawl Pin, which I also almost never wear.  I mean, I love it, of course.  I bought it from Churchmouse Yarns and Teas because I'd been in love with this design for a few years and by the time I decided to treat myself to it from the first place I'd found it, it was long since sold out.  But I don't use it.  So on this particular day, I decided to try it out.


So, so perfect.  I still got the curls, and I didn't have to deal with the flapping ends or trailing shawl.

I realize I may be the slowest person on the block but - do you have a shawl pin that you actually get around to sticking into your knitting?  Because if you do and you don't, I can highly recommend taking that extra step.


You'll get so much more use out of your scarves and shawls if you do!

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