The Five Year Shawl

I’m moving next month back to London after our three year temporary move to Guernsey. Which means I’ve started looking through and deciding on all the things to pack and what to throw away. Obviously, I started with my yarn stash (because that’s the most important thing, right?)

Looking through my stash was a little bit of a wake up call. There were quite a few balls I just wouldn’t use anymore as they were Aran weight or thicker which I think is too thick for most crochet projects personally and I can’t knit anymore. So they were mostly easy to get rid of (although I still have my expensive green rowan yarn I shared with you a couple weeks ago). That cut my stash in half (to be fair the last couple of years I have been trying to use up my stash rather than buy new yarn so there wasn’t that much)

But then I came across a few projects that I hadn’t finished. Projects which I’d taken with me three years ago last time we moved and hadn’t touched since! Ooops! So my new goal was to get them finished before the move.

Now there were only really two projects: A small blanket which, if all goes to plan, I will share with you soon. And a shawl (there was also an amigurumi dragon in parts but I don’t see me completing that)

So this shawl, I started it in 2013. Five years ago. Luckily for me I used ravelry to track it so it was easy to find the pattern and I had left myself notes on where I’d got up to. According to my notes I went back and did a few rows after I first moved here in 2016 but it’s sat on my shelf, within easy reach, and untouched since.

Here’s where I was when I packed it up for the move three years ago:

I’m using the I Promise You Pineapples shawl pattern, and Fyberspates Scrumptious 4 ply yarn in gold. Which is the thinnest yarn I’ve ever used but its really really nice and I love the colour.

I managed to finish this in a week. I should have done it so long ago but I think the fact I had to follow a pattern put me off. I tend to do brainless things but have enjoyed more complicated patterns recently so maybe I should do more. It’s obviously not blocked. I say obviously because I don’t know how many times I’ve mentioned my lack of blocking projects on this blog! But here it is stretched out on my bed so you can see it properly.

I had a little incident of yarn chicken at the end. I had just assumed that past me had got the right amount of yarn and I didn’t even think about it until I reached the last row and realised there really wasn’t that much left and what if past me had half-arsed it like she normally does but no. I had enough. I’m still not sure if that was by planning or luck.

But anyway, the yarn is gorgeous as is the pattern and the shawl is lovely and light. And like most things I make it has been claimed by my mum, which I don’t mind because it means I don’t have to block it….

Now onto project 2 before the move in a few weeks. Wish me luck!

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