All hail the unsung hero

Hello dearest ladies and gents!

So I actually have a finished object for you! However, there are some confessions to go along with it.

Introducing my unsung hero – The Stuck On You Shawl from Wool and the Gang

Confession time. This was actually started a long time ago. I started it for a couple of reasons. One, to obviously have a nice warm shawl for winter, two to give me a bit of a rest from baby blankets, and three to have something to do while I was with the recipients of the baby blankets. So long ago. While this blog was just a twinkle in my eye.

I managed to finish this shawl very quickly. It’s been tucked away down the side of the sofa ever since. I specifically altered it so it would be huge and it kept me toasty and warm all winter. My hero. So why, I hear you ask, have I only just finished it? One word for you. Ends. By now you’ll be familiar with my hatred of ends. However, I had actually done the majority of them! So very nearly finished. Finished enough to wear. Just not enough to actually be complete.

I’m trying to remember why I didn’t finish doing the ends, and all I can offer is the fact that things got crazy with Christmas and there just wasn’t the time. It’s a poor excuse I know. Anyway, Mrs ATR was having a nose about (probably looking for the ATR project) and found it in its side-of-the-sofa-home last week. She then proceeded to give me a telling off.

‘How long would it take you to finish these ends?!? There’s only two of them!’

Yes only two! I hung my head in shame and made a promise to get in finished by the end of the week.

Hurrah! It’s finished!

And for giving me a telling off, she was forced to be in some pictures!

And no it didn’t take very long. Two of my favourite little family popped over on Thursday and I fiddled about with it while the little one was a sleep, the kittens were sniffing this new mysterious object and Mum and I were having a catch up. I think in all honesty, I wanted it as practical object, so if it was functioning on that level, then everything else could wait.

I used Stylecraft Special chunky in Denim for this. I can’t remember how many balls. I’ll estimate and say maybe 8? I used Stuck On You Shawl by Wool and the Gang because I think I got it free in a promotion. It also looked very pretty and very easy. Also worked from the bottom up so I could make it as big as I needed. I wouldn’t be able to cope with a small shawl.

It was ever so easy to do. I did have trouble at the beginning and I had to frog it a couple of times while I played with the hook size. I couldn’t get it to lie flat. Something in my yarn/hook substitution had gone wrong I think. Originally I was trying having 5 post stitches from any stem, but I changed this to 3 and it worked a lot better giving me the flat edge I wanted. This did mean I had to make it longer at the back, but I was completely fine with that. It’s got a lovely round bottom to it rather than a pointy one.

Once I’d got this sorted it was so easy to fly through. Just a dtr (trc – US) then ch in each hole left by the previous row. Three on the end one then turn. Definitely one you didn’t have to think about.

You’d be right in thinking it’s very holey, but wrong to think that it isn’t warm. It kept me surprisingly warm throughout the winter without being too warm and suffocating. I tried it out in the evening chill of the garden yesterday and worked wonders there. A shawl for all seasons it seems.

I never find shawl patterns are long enough so I was happy to find such an adjustable one. The pattern calls for tassels, but I decided not to waste my yarn on them. I also went on much longer than suggested and made it wide enough to fit round me comfortably without always worrying that it would fall off. You can see that it can cover my whole arm span very easily.

The pictures today are brought to you from the garden. Himself finally got round to cutting the grass, so I though I’d take some fancy pictures outside. People use their washing lines all the time to take pictures of big items. I’m not sure I’ve mastered it. Maybe I need to get a fancy washing line rather than my B&Q rotary. It was lovely to be able to take pictures outside though. Especially when I can try and get the mountains in. Eventually I’ll work it out and be able to take pictures that include projects, nice weather and mountains. It’s good to have goals.

Anyway I hoped you liked the long awaited reveal. I’m very much looking forward to being able to stay out later in the garden with my (finished!) shawl to keep me warm.

Much love xx