Two years ago, I bought some soft blue Corriedale wool with touches of yellow silk in it. The minute I saw it, I thought of fog or mist. My plan was to spin a gossamer thin yarn and make a lacy shawl with it. However, as a beginning spinner, I wasn’t sure if I could make a lace weight yarn that was elegant enough to live up to my visions for this pretty fiber. I spun other things in my stash, waiting to be good enough to make the yarn.
I mentioned how I would be spinning this fiber if only I was good enough to my friend Deb. Deb happens to know a ton about spinning and knitting, and has years of experience doing both. I’m pretty sure she can make any yarn she wants. Her advice set me free.
She said: “Go ahead and spin it up. Don’t worry if it comes out a little lumpy. Make your shawl with elongated garter stitch. It will be lacy-looking and it won’t require the fine thread a complicated lace would.”
I was flabbergasted that she thought I should just dive in and make imperfect yarn. The next day, a friend on Facebook posted photos of the shawl she had just finished, which used elongated garter stitch. I took it as a sign from the universe that I should follow Deb’s advice. I got the link to the free pattern and started spinning.
As predicted, my yarn is not perfect. I’m not even sure it’s good. But when I sat down and started knitting, I discovered I didn’t care. I was so excited to be making something with yarn I’d made myself that the lumps were easy to love, like freckles on a child’s nose.
Hanna Breetz’s Storm Cloud Shawlette pattern is quite simple to make, although I did have moments where I wasn’t paying attention. Picking up dropped stitches when you are intentionally dropping yarn-overs is a little tricky. Still, I love the results. Even better, I had some yarn left over.
If I hadn’t followed Deb’s advice, this fiber would still be waiting for me to get up the nerve to use it. Instead, I have a lovely shawl made from delicately colored wool I adore and my spinning skills are a little better than they were. Everybody wins!
Have you ever tackled a project you didn’t feel ready for? How did it turn out? Did you like the results?
Beautiful! I love the color, the texture, and the drape of the shawl.
Thanks! I love how it turned out even though it doesn’t look like mist.
Good on Deb for giving you the push you needed! I know from my art work that there are special things waiting for the right time, until you are a Grown-Up painter — or in your case spinner. And then you discover that you get so much joy from using the beautiful thing that it makes your heart sing! Your shawl is beautiful, and it is light and misty! I am going to check out the pattern.
I know better than to save the good stuff for later (whether it’s a material or an idea) but it’s so easy to forget. The pattern is clever: simple yet effective. Enjoy!