This should have been last week’s post; but I’m late, because this shawl just had to have perfect pictures.
This is Shh! by Jennifer Weissman; a fitting way to close out the old year and kick off the new, since I’ve had it in my mental queue since late 2019. I absolutely love it. It was a quick knit (10 days) and it’s the warmest, coziest thing I’ve made in ages. It’s a heavy shawl—I learned while taking photos that the old hang-the-shawl-from-a-branch trick that I used with Suncatcher wasn’t going to go over well—but I like it that way; the weight on my shoulders is secure and comforting. When spring comes, I may find it hard to go back to the fingering and laceweight pieces that will fly away on a gust.
The yarn, Quince & Co. Osprey, was a perfect match for this design and helps to account for a good bit of the cozy-and-comforting of my finished shawl. Yarn review coming soon!
While I wish I had some wise or inspiring words for 2021, I won’t try; the best I can do is some silly ones, which I shared last year in this post. Maybe it’s just my loopy sense of humor (pun very much intended), but a year later it still seems kind of funny.
Of course I can’t forget that now is the time for resolutions. I’m feeling brash and confident this year because I kept my resolution (yes, that’s singular) for 2020; behold one fingering weight crochet shawl!
This year, in the words of Scar, my teeth and ambitions are bared; be prepared! Don’t worry, they aren’t evil ambitions; but are they, well, over-ambitious? Probably. Instead of one project, I’m planning nine.
What are they? Other than the fact that there are 7 knit and 2 crochet pieces, that’s a secret for now; but I’ll be revealing them one by one over the course of the year (I’m going to be extremely corny about it: progress updates, collages, teasers; the works), and if there’s anything left over that, perchance, I don’t finish, I’ll reveal that at the end of the year.
The overarching goal is to knit more patterns by other designers; it’s been a full year of sample knitting and I’m ready to branch out again from my own designs. Nobody wants to read a book by a writer who only reads her own works; and I don’t want to be that writer. Also, I’ve come to realize how much it means to a designer to see another person making their pattern and sharing photos, and I’d love to spread some more of that joy around in the coming year.
Of course I do have grand design plans as well, which are evolving as we speak; so as we say around here, stay tuned. If you’d like to have some input on the kinds of patterns and events I’ll be putting out this year, be sure to drop by this survey on Ravelry here; or if you don’t have an account there, leave a comment below with your ideas. I can’t promise that I’ll use everything; but I value your feedback and will consider everything carefully.
And it’s official; 2020 is a wrap! There’s only one thing left to say:
Happy New Year!
