Cast On and Bound Off: Single Crochet Shawl

I never did quite get to a cast-on report for the crochet shawl I started three weeks ago.

Whoops!

I had intended to use Sylwia Kawczyńska's Carina Mosaic Shawl pattern to pair a 516-yard skein of fingering weight handspun with two skeins of indie dyed sock yarn in a complementary color.

They do look lovely together!

When I started the mosaic section, I noticed that my work seemed loose. I'm fairly new to mosaic crochet and thought I'd keep going and see if the pattern made itself clear about halfway through. While the pattern did show, I decided that the fabric was too loose for my liking and that the handspun skein would be better suited to a plain single crochet project to really showcase the yarn without worrying about any patterning.

Determined to continue on, I sat down on the studio floor and slowly ripped back row by row until the contrasting skein was whole again and I was left with a small single crochet triangle. 

Technically, I continued using the Carina pattern — just one line of it. Increasing by four stitches each row, I settled back into the single crochet rhythm. This might be my most enjoyable crochet project to date, if I'm honest.

Since the single-row pattern was easily memorized, I enjoyed a lot of quiet contemplation during this project. We've had some beautiful weather these past few days, so much of my time has been spent out on the patio working on projects and watching the local birds discover our feeder. 

"What, is there something on my beak?"

I found myself daydreaming about future projects, simple projects, where the yarn does most of the work. This was one of those projects once I made the decision to ditch the pattern, and it was very enjoyable. There's something to be said for simple patterns and letting the yarn speak — especially handspun.

And then, Sunday afternoon, the shawl was suddenly finished! It's currently blocking on mats behind me and came out to an astonishing 59" wingspan. That's far larger than I was expecting from a single skein crochet project! 

I'm very pleased with it, and I hope it blocks well so I can grab some good photos this week.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Before I jump too terribly far down that simple projects rabbit hole, I do have the current WIPs to finish. Two of them land in the realm of simple, anyway.

For those keeping score at home, On the needles I still have the Umaro blanket, the Habitation Throw, and on the loom I have my my purple/rainbow handspun stole/yardage/fabric — I don't know what to call the damn weaving project, okay?

I think I'll just call it the purple yardage so we can move on with our lives. It's very pretty, and I say that as someone who is convinced that I may choose the yarn a put it on the loom, but it becoming fabric is magic all of its own.

Umaro is coming along well, if slowly. It will likely be what I dive into next until it's finished.

I'll admit that the larger needles I have to use on Umaro are a little harder on my hands, but that's mostly a reminder that I don't need to be fast.

The Habitation Throw will fall back into place as my mindless project now that the shawl is finished, and it often brightens up my morning work table as well. 

Once I run out of the three yarns I'm working with, I'll have to decide whether to proceed with one solid or make more stripes in different colors. I'm trying to source a single ply black or charcoal with some sparkle to match the other half, but I'm not having a lot of luck except in the very expensive indie dyed realm. 

(There's no HDR on that photo, my phone camera just doesn't know what to do with the bright, saturated colors when the sunlight hits them.)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

I have some ideas about what I want the shop to look like when I open again, and I think the picture is slowly becoming whole. 

While I don't want to spoil any new products at this point in time, I would like to say that the idea of using part of my shop as a gallery for larger finished accessories is really scratching an itch for me. After knitting for a decade, I have my favorite shawls, scarves, and hats. But I want to keep making those things. I enjoy learning new techniques, putting the pieces of a new pattern together, and seeing how my handspun yarn takes shape.

Listing those items for sale gives me hope that those pieces will find homes, even if it takes a while. That way, I can keep making what I love and sharing it with you all.

You're not likely to see socks in the shop, though. We'll always need new socks, as long as we keep wearing through them! 

I currently have two shawls I'd like to list when the time comes, and I'm deep into daydreaming about putting that loom to good use for housewares large and small! 

A major goal of mine is to have a broad range of price points for items I sell, that way everyone can afford something. As someone who admires many artists, makers, and creators, it's wonderful to be able to support someone in a small way rather than being priced out by luxury goods. At the same time, there is a market for those luxury goods! 

Something about everything in moderation.

I'll leave it there for now, before I run down into more vague babbling. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

This week I'm hoping to work out some more repeatable shop items and make progress on my WIPs!

I'll see you Saturday morning on Twitch for coffee and crafts!

As always, thanks for reading. Take care, and have a lovely week. 💚