Starting the Sea Glass Shawl

Have you seen the Sea Glass shawl pattern in the Simply Crochet issue 33 magazine? I know Daisy has already started one of these shawls and it is looking really gorgeous so far. You can see hers here.

It just so happens that I've also started crocheting one of these shawls. Well look at it! It's so, so beautiful, who could resist making it?

Fortunately I even have a very good reason for making mine; we're going to a wedding at the beginning of September and this is what I intend to wear with my dress.

Lace weight yarn had to be purchased. I picked the colour to match my new shoes. It was tricky to match the colour as I had to buy the yarn online from the Wool Warehouse. Picture me at a screen, new shoe in hand, trying to match the colour to various yarns. This is what I finally decided was the best match and, now that it has arrived and I can see it in real life, is actually a perfect match. 

It's Juniper Moon Farm Findley yarn which is 50% extra fine merino wool and 50% mulberry silk. It feels so soft. So very, very soft.

The pattern looks difficult but it is easy enough to follow. The shawl is made up of thirty four starfish motifs, joined as you go, arranged in three rows; ten motifs in the top row, nine motifs in the middle row and eight in the bottom row. After the first two starfish motifs I was able to continue without needing to refer to the pattern.

This is the first row complete with two motifs of the middle row also done. The colour isn't quite as dark as this really.

A bit closer so you can see more detail. This is much closer to the true colour.

Actually, as a matter of interest, the colour is called Rappahannock. I have to admit that this meant nothing to me until I checked it out on the internet.The Rappahannock River is in eastern Virginia and traverses the entire northern part of the state, from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west, across the Piedmont, to the Chesapeake Bay, south of the Potomac River. That explains why the name has been used for this shade of blue!

The dress with which I will be wearing the sea glass shawl has a lot of beading at the neckline so I won't be doing any beading on the shawl. When it's finished I'll let you see it (it will improve immensely after being blocked). I'll also let you see the dress and shoes.

Thank you all so much for your lovely comments on my crocheted top. I've also done a wee cardigan which I'll have to let you see. Work continues on the big blanket!

All the best for now.

Crochet Progress and Using Wool Warehouse Bags

It's hard to believe, but it's over a year since I started my king size crocheted cotton blanket. In fact, details about the yarn I'm using were in my very first post. There have been some updates on the progress since then, from the first squares at the end of this post, a whole row done at the end of this post, some more here (at the end) and great progress made here.

Of course, I've taken breaks from my blanket since it was started. Many breaks! To make lots of other things. Some big some small. Now, at last, the blanket end is in sight. It has never been a project that made me feel under pressure to get it finished. I have enjoyed working on it and then putting it away while I did something else. Now that is is nearing completion I'm really feeling the impetus to get it finished. How do you think it is looking?

More has been done since this picture was taken. I have nine more squares to crochet and that will make a total of 132 squares! Now, if you crochet (or knit), you will know that finishing the last square is not finishing the blanket. There are hundreds of ends to be sewn in. In fact, it's likely there are more than a thousand ends to sew in! There's also a border to be done; something which I still haven't decided on.

Do any of you order yarn from Wool Warehouse? If you do then you are bound to have noticed the way they now package the yarn in these lovely bags. I thought they were bound to be useful for something once the yarn had been used. So, I removed the Wool Warehouse ribbons and substituted some of my own for pulling the bag closed. You could use very colourful ribbons or ribbons with a message printed on them (like Happy Birthday or Hand Made with Love; you know the sort of thing). A very useful bag for all sorts of things. I have used some already to pack items I've made to give to someone else.

I might as well let you see one of the little makes that has kept me from blanket. This is a dishcloth made using King Cole Bamboo Cotton yarn. It's lovely to work with; very soft although a little bit splitty. It's 50% bamboo and 50% cotton so ideal for using to make washcloths and dishcloths. I used the full 50g ball for this dishcloth so it's a good, generous size. My dad was impressed with it! 

If anyone would like to know how the dishcloth is made I can write it up for you; there's not much to it. It's so easy I've made another one in blue.

Best wishes to all of you for now. I'm sorry that I haven't had much time for reading other blogs this week and for leaving comments. I've had technology problems but really it's just a case of not enough time.