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A finished shawl and some random ramblings‏

I finished my hand spun shawl last night, soaked it and blocked it. I love that magic moment when I take something wrinkled and slightly odd looking - Leon described this shawl, preblocking as " looking like a dissected lung" and stretch it out:
Blocking, it's just magic. I'm really happy with how this shawl came out, and it was a fun, quick knit. I altered the pattern a little, it calls for 1.5 repeats and I did 3.5, and instead of the border as written, I repeated rows 11 and 12 a couple of times.
The only problem is, little triangle shawls don't fit very naturally in my choice of clothes. I think I noted that last time I made one, but I was already half way through making this yarn, and I'm sure I will find a way to wear it. Going forward though the shawls I am planning for myself are all crescent shaped, or elongated. There is even a Wollmeise scarf in my near future. I am, however, going to knit two large, traditional, triangle shawls as gifts for my mother and sister in law, so I will have the satisfaction of the knitting lace, without actually needing to work out the practicalities of using the finished object.
Other than that I have done quite a bit of on-line shopping of late. I hadn't bought anything for a couple of months and now BAM I want everything. I have 5 packages coming in the mail, only one of which is yarn. I will share them with you as they arrive. I love online shopping, there is the excitement of the purchase, the thrill of finding the blue post office slip in the letterbox, going to the package centre and then taking the package home for the big reveal.
Now I'm off to a friends place to cast on a pair of mitts and watch the royal wedding.

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