But here I am again, my hands twitching in the evening ready to knit. As for the inspiration, I looked to the most tangible of sources - beautiful yarn. I bought this yarn ages ago, before I could rhyme off luxury yarn makers and before I meticulously saved every yarn label I've used in my scrapbook. All I know is that it's silk, it cost me $36 for the skein and, most importantly, that it's beeeeeautiful.
I have been "inspired" by this yarn for years and years now, although at this point I could almost refer to it as being haunted by it. I bought it with the intentions to knit the Diamond Fantasy Shawl by Sivia Harding and I swear I started and frogged that thing 12 times before I gave up. Last summer I designed a rectangular wrap with a shield lace pattern but it didn't really get my juices flowing. After nine or ten repeats, I abolished it to the "meh" drawer. This time around I wanted something somewhat mindless with a little bit of fun. Something I would bind off and be so excited about that I would run out and cast on my next project pronto. Enter the Oaklet Shawl. I resurrected this luscious yarn once again and went at it. The stockinette at the beginning with the promise of some simple lace at the end kept me going. I love it AND I have cast on my next project (Owl baby vest). Only one little problem. I knit the pattern exactly as written (rare for me) and I've got a substantial little ball of this yarn left. Kill me now, but I'm really, really going to rip this baby back to the end of the stockinette section and use up the rest of the yarn. Ripping back slippery silk....I can see the dropped stitches now. (Do I really have the patience/good sense for a lifeline?) Good luck to me. It may be another 6 months before the next post.....
(extended and blocked version to be posted soon! ...there, I said it out loud, now I HAVE to do it...)
