For weeks now, I have been panning through Ravelry looking at shawls. Almost all my recent favourites have been shawls and I have been looking at my stash strategizing which patterns to match with which yarns. Why didn’t I just cast on? Well, I don’t know. I was knitting that baby sweater (which I still haven’t mailed! dammit) and then I wanted to get those socks done so I could cast on a pair for my mom, and, really, I don’t know.

This weekend, though, I broke down. I finished the socks. I finished a hat (details to come). I knit on my sweater. I even cast on for my mom’s socks and knit to the heel of the first one. I had earned a new shawl! (Since when did knitting become about earning new projects? What is going on in my head?) I went back to Ravelry and went through my favourites, and then added more, and finally settled on Shaelyn as the perfect shawl.

Two repeats in and I’m smitten.

Perfect how? Well, it has a nice rhythm to it, with its bands of lace and bands of stockinette. I also had the perfect yarn in my stash – Handmaiden Casbah in Lupins, which I bought in Nova Scotia and have two skeins of, meaning I can make this shawl as big as I want.

I’m not actually sure which of these skeins I started with, but I think it might be the one on the left.

The colour is a little more variegated than I would normally choose for lace, but because of the stockinette portions, I think it works. And this yarn is so soft (who knew 9% cashmere would make such a difference).

I mean, it looks crappy right now, but when it’s blocked it should be okay I think.

All in all, I think this is solving my shawl restlessness for now, although I’m not sure one shawl will do it, so be prepared for a lot of shawls over the next few months. Lace, it seems, is making a comeback. Is it just me? Is it spring? Tell me you’re feeling the startitis bug too!