Here’s another project that I finished back in April.  This one had been languishing for almost two years.  It’s the Three Springs Shawl, by Deanne Ramsay of Addydae Designs.

Because this had been started so long ago it took me a while to get back into the groove. There was quite a bit of recounting the stitches and pulling out and redoing. As Dan calls it – getting my value out of the yarn! It’s mostly Wollmeisse merino, in the colour Ruby Thursday. I used the leftover Malabrigo sock for the orange contrast, mostly because I wanted to use what I had (and we were in full stay-at-home by that stage, so I wasn’t going out to buy yarn).

As with most crocheted (or knitted) lace, it improved with vigorous steam blocking. I tend to just hover the iron over the top and steam the heck out of it, stretching and patting it into shape with my hands. Others use properly blocking wires and mats, and/or dampen then let it dry. This method seems to work quite well for me.

It’s hard to get an accurate photo of the colour – this next photo is an outside one in natural light, which I think is a little closer to reality. It’s definitely a ruby red rather than a tomato red. I really like a long scarf/shawlette. I find it easiest to wrap it around my neck completely with long ends hanging down, rather than something that requires a brooch or shawl pin to stay in place. I don’t like fiddling with it.

Deanne has a number of lovely scarf/shawl patterns available to crochet. I really think that the key to a successful shawl is in the colour/yarn choice. Getting the combination of colours just right makes such a difference to the overall effect. It’s one of the reasons that I love Ravelry – you can see so many diffferent versions and work out what colour selections appeal to you most. They’re a fabulous way to use luxury yarns in a format that can be worn for years and years. Many of these shawls take around three skeins, so you’re looking at around A$100 to make one if you choose hand-dyed yarns or special fibres. You want it to be something that will be worn forever! Of course, it’s entirely up to your own budget which yarns you use.  I have some beautiful possum/merino yarn that I bought in New Zealand a couple of years ago all ready for my next scarf/shawl. I’ve decided on this pattern. Tonight might be the night I get started!