The Wool Weaver

First FO for 2020!

I saw my sister this summer at a family wedding and she mentioned wanting to wear a shawl on her winter wedding day, but being a new knitter she wasn’t sure if she wanted to make one herself. So obviously I immediately offered to make one. I waited a few months to get an idea of her dress and overall wedding vibes, and we ultimately decided on the Calla Shawl by Natasja Hornby.

This was hands down one of the most enjoyable things I have ever knit. The broken rib kept the shawl from being miles of stockinette, and watching the cable lillies emerge was almost magical. We picked out Brooklyn Tweed Arbor in the color Parka after seeing a beautiful shop sample with really amazing stitch definition, and I can’t imagine a more perfect pairing. Arbor is a 3ply DK weight 100% Targhee wool, available in a stunning range of colors. Every time I picked up this project I was super excited to work with this yarn, which has an almost bouncy quality to it. I think knowing how special this project would be for my sister helped with the excitement also :)

I knit this pattern out of a copy of Laine magizine, with the entire cable motif charted out. This was my first time knitting such large pieces with little written direction, and I had to trust what I already knew about knitting. It was very easy to read my knitting as I went along however, and I was really proud of how confident I found myself. I think it also helped having a physical copy of my chart, rather than zooming in and out on a phone.

My only “hangup” as I was knitting is that I ran out of yarn! I originally bought 7 skeins of this yarn, which is available in 145yds/50grams. According to the pattern I should have had 7 yards left over, which I know is cutting it close. But I ran out with 4 (long) rows and a picot bind off to go! Luckily my LYS had the same lot I had started with in stock, but I would recommend not cutting it close on yardage with this one.

Her wedding day ended up being a beautiful day here in Detroit. The ceremony was held in a state park conservatory, and we gathered for dinner at a near by old estate turned classy restrurant. I’m incredibly grateful I was able to contribute to her wedding in the best way I know how. 💕

xo-lj