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Montebretia, the unHAPpy conclusion

I finished the first shawl from Kate Davies' The Book of Haps. It's the cover pattern, Montebretia, the pretty star of a book of great haps. Right? You'd think so.

 As I was knitting it I knew it was pretty:
The colours, the welts, the bobbles. I figured construction was somewhat similar to  Colour Affection, and other medium sized shawls featuring short rows. Well, it's not. The final shape is odd, and basically unwearable for me.

 it's too deep to wrap around my neck like a scarf:
It's too small to go all the way around my shoulders like a crescent shawl. 


























If I wear it like it's pictured on the front cover I can't move my arms at all. To be fair, it doesn't look like the model can either. 

 It might look all right held together with a shawl pin, but that's not really how I want to wear it, and it's still really messy. There is excess fabric everywhere, and the colourwork in the border means there is no stretch there.

 The only way it actually looks good is if I pull the excess fabric over my head, like a hijab.

 I don't have a lot of use for a hijab in my life.

 So basically I made a pretty, and pretty useless rag. i have no idea what I am going to do with it. I'm certainly not going to put it on the shawl shelf with all the shawls I wear daily. I can't give it to any of my friends, because I consider it unwearable. I guess I'll give it to the opp shop and hope someone wants it for a dress up party?
  





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