Long Winter

Dear Mom,

This winter, I thought my desire to knit was dwindling.

I knit on just one thing.

I knew it was a very big thing,

but I hadn't realized just how big it was until I finally finished it in June, and blocked it on my bed. I was so relieved! It was huge! Suddenly it was clear what I'd been doing all winter. I hadn't lost any desire to knit - I just couldn't see what I was making.

Here's the Heartland Shawl from Folk Shawls, modeled on some local restored prairie heartland. The body of the shawl is Brown Sheep Naturespun sport, color Catblue, and the border is Louisa Harding Kimono Angora Pure. I learned two things from the border: that blue is sometimes really hard to match with other colors, and that angora fuzzies get caught in my contacts and the back of my throat while I'm knitting it. But the pink is perfect, and the border is so soft - the contrast in textures works, and I will wear this shawl on cold mornings and evenings this fall and winter all the time.

But next winter I think I'll pencil in some small, quick projects for February, just to avoid the same mistake. Maybe some goofy hats.

Ganomy Hat, from EZ's Knitter's Almanac
Black Oak Wool 2 ply

Love,
Gwen