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?