Big Stitchy Finger Project: the shawl

It probably sounds a bit weird to say this, given my crochet obsession, but I've never been that big a fan of wool. Or 'yarn' as I understand the catch-all term to be.

I've always found it scratchy and, aside from for scarves or blankets, a bit old fashioned looking. This obviously changed as I started crocheting and discovered all the beautiful, and sometimes eye wateringly expensive, yarns out there. Plus all the pretty things that can be made with a crochet hook. I'm looking at you little amigurumi strawberries.

Now, as you are sure to find out, I'm not a very 'think outside the box' kind of person. I wish I was, but it's not to be. So it took a lady at my knitting club crocheting a doily, for me to realise that delicate items such as that could be made with a crochet hook.

The excitement was almost unbearable. It was like when I first ate raspberry sorbet and chocolate ice cream together, how had I not known forever that the two are meant to be?

In a daze I rushed to print off a doily pattern and hot footed to my local craft shops to buy crochet cotton and a small hook.

It took a bit of getting used to on my fingers, having only worked with thicker yarns and a bigger hook. But I got there and the doily was made. And I loved it.

The doily now sits awkwardly in my flat, not sure what to do with itself. I imagine I'll find use for it in about fifty years' time, but in the meantime making more doilies seemed pointless in my shoebox home.

I turned to Ravelry for crochet cotton inspiration, and fell upon the official 'world's prettiest shawl'.

Images of me wearing it at weddings and cocktail parties (I'm bound to go to a cocktail party one day, right?) rushed into my head. 

'What a gorgeous shawl.' They'd all say, 'where did you buy it?'

'Oh, what this?' I'll casually smile as I toss it over my shoulder. 'I made it.'

Queue hushed awe.

It's not been the easiest project to get started on as there were some initial errors in the pattern. But the pattern author replied really quickly to my emails through Ravelry and now everything is on track.

I have made 7 of the 19 panels, and have even been (trying to) weave in as I go. Which is pretty virtuous behaviour as far as I'm concerned! 

It's going to be a long process, as each panel takes a good few hours' work, but I really think it will be something to be proud of when I'm finally done.

Then all I will need is a cocktail party or wedding to wear it to. Any invites?