Shawls, Shoulders, and Spring

The March days are growing longer and this week's temperatures are considerably warmer in Nebraska. Yesterday, in solidarity with the local public school teachers and students on Spring Break, I sat on the deck in the sunshine and read "Old Mrs. Harris," a short story from a book of Willa Cather's collected short stories, articles, and essays. Reading early and less well known work by an author reminds me that all writers were once beginning writers.    

Last week I finished this shawl to give as a gift. The Red Robin Shawl pattern by Helen Stuart is well written. She includes a small spread sheet stating percentages for each section so the knitter can use up the entire skein of yarn. Once the blue shawl was blocking, I finished the pink raspberry shawl. When I cast on the pink shawl, I knit garter stitch rows until I had a multiple of stitches needed for a pattern repeat of eighteen stitches plus the center and edge stitches. Then I knit a feather and fan border because I enjoy knitting that pattern. My encapsulated (frozen) shoulder joint was healing but I needed the easy comfort knitting that I find in simple shawls. Although today's knitters and designers have updated shawls in interesting new ways, the little pink shawl is not one of the new fashion forward wraps. I think I it will join a few other sturdy shawls I use for keeping my shoulders warm during winter's cold.

After two months of physical therapy, the range of motion in my shoulder is near normal. I have been discharged from therapy with instructions to diligently stretch and strengthen the joint and surrounding muscles for at least two more months. I will be following the recommendations as well as taking frequent breaks and using good body mechanics while knitting as I don't want to repeat the experience. Besides, the warmer temperatures and sunshine are calling me to the garden. I want to be ready to pull weeds and thin perennials. Green shoots of crocuses and daffodils are just up above the ground. Spring is around the corner.

Necessary Shawls

In this crazy world, I find wrapping a soft knitted shawl around my neck and shoulders is necessary. Old lady-ish or not, I have a few stalwart shawls that I wear around the house for warmth on cool evenings or mornings. I let the shawl rest on my shoulders and tie the ends into a loose knot. If the weather is very cold, I wrap up in a larger shawl and toss the ends over my shoulders. Comfort, not fashion, is my goal.  

Recently I finished knitting two warm weather shawls. Although they have a shade of plum in common, the patterns were quite different. Zephyr Cove by Rosemary Hill begins with a small leaf knit at one end of the shawl and ends with a simple lace pattern in a second color. Garter stitch short rows shape the shawl into a long boomerang. While the construction was interesting, it was the name of the pattern and the leaf drew me to the design. Hill named the pattern after a cove in Lake Tahoe and knit the original in teal blue and forest green. I'm not sure I'll knit a shawl with such an elongated shape again but the ends will wrap twice around my shoulders. I knit this shawl in fingering weight yarn, Tosh Merino Light.

The Red Robin Shawl by Helen Stewart is knit from Blue Sky Alpaca Silk. Stewart's pattern made a simple but elegant shawl. Her meticulous design includes an ingenious beginning which eliminates the pesky little point that sometimes happens at the beginning of triangular shawls. She also added a stitch to the edges that eliminates the awkward increases next to purl stitches. I had a few wobbly looking rows in the stockinette section of the shawl but blocking smoothed them out. I will probably knit this pattern again.

Shawl knitting offers a wide variety of designs. Some shawls come with intricate lace patterns while other create simple lines with stockinette or garter stitch. Shawls can be shaped in a crescent, rectangle (stole), large circle, triangle, or some variation of a shape. I happen to prefer a triangular shaped shawl for the straight forward construction and ease in wearing.  Summer is a great time for knitting a lightweight shawl, as the garment requires less attention to fit and finishing. Matching the pattern to yarn is a delightful process.  My advice for the summer is to choose a design, choose a yarn, knit, and enjoy. Then wrap up in your shawl and a book from your reading list.