Skip to main content

FO Friday: Spindleberry Shawl

It's the first FO Friday of May, and I'm pretty excited to share my latest FO: the Spindleberry Shawl by Joanna Johnson! I snagged this pattern for free when it was first released (it is now available for purchase for the low price of just $4) thanks to my handy Ravulous hot right now app, and it turned out to be the perfect one-skein project for a lovely hank of Skein Merino Cashmere Fingering that has been bouncing around my stash.

I really enjoyed knitting this pattern, and I found it to be the perfect mix of mindful/mindless knitting. Making the fringe as I knit wasn't nearly as fussy as I thought it would be, and the mesh design was fairly easy to memorize. I do wish there had been a chart in addition to the written instructions, but I also feel that beggars can't be choosers when it comes to a free pattern.

I do wish I had added a garter stitch border opposite the mesh, as the fabric curls quite a bit, even after a good blocking. That's mostly on me, since I knew the second I read the pattern that curling would be an issue, yet I chose to proceed as written! 
That said, the curling doesn't really affect the scarf when I'm wearing it, as I like to wrap it around a bunch and then use the button to secure it in place. I was pretty excited to find the perfect vintage button in my stash, too - it's perfect for the colorway! 
The yarn is incredibly soft and silky, a real delight to wear close to the skin. If you ever have a chance to grab yourself a skein of Skein, this particular base is worth a try. It can be a little tough to track down stateside; I was fortunate to snap up a few skeins from Doodlebug Yarn before they closed. 

In other news, I had a really cute visitor on my back porch the other day - this little baby squirrel was making quite a racket trying to get someone's attention! He seemed a bit dazed after falling from a satellite dish that was on the second story of my house, so I kept a close eye on him until he snapped out of it and wandered back to his momma (at least, I hope that's what happened!). Apparently squirrels are quite durable critters! 

Thanks for stopping by this week - for FO Friday inspiration, visit the Tami's Amis blog.


Have a crafty weekend! 

Labels:

Comments

  1. UnknownMay 9, 2014 at 9:21 AM

    Great shawl! I like the fringe. I hate when fabric curls, though, too. Even if it isn't visible it bugs me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Handmade by StefanieMay 9, 2014 at 12:49 PM

      Thanks! I have never made myself anything with fringe before, but I really like it! Could do without the curly edge issue, but hopefully I'll learn my lesson in the future!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my  taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b...
Post a Comment
Read more

Easy DIY: Beaded Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kits from Solid Oak Inc.

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends,  so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with  this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks).  The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a...
1 comment
Read more

What If I Didn't Add Heels?

Last weekend, I finished the first sock with my Waterlilies yarn , and just for yuks, I tried it on even though it was basically just a tube sock. Much to my surprise, it fit really well, even without a heel. Who knew? So, that got me thinking: what if I just didn't add the heels?  I never thought a tube sock would actually fit nicely, but I genuinely like the fit, so...why spend time to add the heels? As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Let's say I decide not to add heels once the second sock is done - there will still be placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels, as you can see above, so should I leave it in and just weave in the ends? Or should I remove it, put the live stitches back on needles and at least graft them together using more of the Waterlilies yarn? I plan on mulling all of this over as I knit the second sock, and I'd love to hear your opinions of what you think would look best (or if you think this whole "n...
3 comments
Read more