balanced unbalance
I’m always working on some project or another, and most weeks I talk about what I’m working on Wednesdays as part of Tami’s WIP Wednesday project. You can see past WIP Wednesdays … right this way.
I often have lots of projects on the needles, but four shawls, a coat, and a series of swatches is a little much, even for me.
It presents a bit of a dilemma.
Do you work a little bit on all of them, but not really see a huge amount of progress?
Do you focus on one of them, and neglect the others?
Do you come up with a “knitting schedule”?
I’ve been trying to give a little bit of attention to each project, but some have ended up neglected.

The oldest work in progress on the needles still hasn’t come out of it’s project bag, and the swatches haven’t been touched.

The coat got an evening of attention, and I attached the last ball of yarn for this piece, but it still looks like a big grey blob.

The golden shawl has spent the week perched on my desk receiving bits and pieces of attention, while the purple shawl has seen lots of attention, but is at the point where you can only measure progress by the diminishing ball of yarn. I did a quick review of the yarn I’m using in the gold shawl Monday.

The blue shawl on the other hand has seen the most progress. Between the loads of attention, and the fact that it’s three strands of lace weight held together on a US 7 (4.5mm) needle it’ll be done in no time. (Which is usually what I say right before projects stall.)
Maybe the best balance for projects is a sort of balanced unbalance?
This was part of Tami’s WIP Wednesday project. If you’d like more WIP Wednesday posts, from other bloggers, visit Tami’s blog.
12 shawls in 2013
All the shawls of 2013.
Shawls that were just finished, or begun and finished.
1. The Shawl Without A Name. From very early this year.
2. Aella. Also finished up early this year. I actually want to reknit this shawl, and make a bunch of pattern tweaks.
3. Mayur. The first shawl started and finished in 2013. A really simple pattern, knit with the delightful Unplanned Peacock’s superwash merino fingering.
4. Red Mesh Shawl. Started as a very last minute gift for Christmas last year. Bound off on New Years. But not posted about (or gifted) until March. The pattern is exclusive (and free) for people who join the Announce Announce list.
5. Anwar. This was a huge lesson in trusting my own color sense, and it looks way more complicated than it is.
6. Lapidarius. Because diamonds are a girl’s best friend, and Latin is fun to play with.
7. Katherine’s Shawl. This was a sample for Katherine as far as I know the pattern isn’t available yet, but it certainly was a pleasure to knit.
8. Cotton Candy Shawl. I love how bright this shawl is, but I really wish I had taken better notes while knitting it.
9. Green Mutant Shawl. Garter stitch with simple shaping and i-cored edging. What’s not to love?
10. Lace Cables. Knit with the lovely Verdant Gryphon’s Eidos, this was partly an experiment in combining colorwork and lace in one shawl.
11. Teeny Tiny Flower Fields. This shawl managed to hide from the blog, all year long.
12. Plucky, Plucky, Shawl. Not quite finished when I took the photo, it still needs a good blocking, but almost there.
Plus 42 “mini shawls” aka swatches for the Shawl Geometry books. Because swatching is awesome.
I tried to list them in the order I talked about them on the blog, and in doing so realized I’ve been falling down big time on FO posts. Something to work on in the new year I suppose. 🙂
See you in 2014.
xx
Noella – Mesh Swirl Shawl
Noella is now available on Ravelry.
Noella – The Mesh Swirls Shawl combines stockinette, mesh, and simple shaping to create a shawl that is the essence of meditative knitting.
Loop after loop.
Stitch after stitch.
It’s the perfect project to work on while catching up with friends and family.
“Noella” – a French Feminine form of Noël, which means Christmas.
I love this shawl specifically for it’s simplicity. I started knit it at the end of 2012 just two days before Christmas, as a gift for my mother, and ended up giving it to her in mid March – but I think I get brownie points for it being before Mother’s Day.
That being said – if you have more than two days – this shawl makes an excellent, special, last minute gift for any occasion. And if you don’t have more than two days, it makes a great project for sitting around, hanging out, talking, laughing, and knitting.
Yarn: 2,475 yards (2,263 meters), lace weight
you’ll be holding three strands of yarn together throughout the shawl, so you’ll need 3 balls of 825 yards(754 meters). Please keep this in mind if you’re substituting yarn.
Sample Shown in:
Jade Sapphire, “Lacey Lamb”;
3 balls, 825 yards (754 meters)/ball, colorway ‘225,’ 100% merino wool
Needles: US size 6 (4.00 mm)
1 set of 5 DPNs (optional)
1 32 inch (80 cm) circular (optional)
1 40 inch (100 cm) circular
use needles needed to obtain gauge
Notions: stitch marker (1); tapestry or yarn needle
Gauge: 23 sts and 36 rounds = 4 in (10 cm); in washed and blocked stockinette stitch
Blocked Dimensions: 35 inches (89 cm) in diameter, blocked
(exact dimensions may vary depending on how aggressively the piece is blocked)





















