In the last two weeks, I've started a couple of projects (both crochet and knitting) and I've completed one of them ...
It all started back in Italy, when in a grocery store I found some crochet magazines ... One of them had only patterns from
DROPS Design and a shawl caught my attention (
here), but I had to wait to go back to Maputo to start to crochet, as I don't travel, usually, with my yarn stash !!! ;oD
Yes, the right yarn was waiting for me in a basket in my studio/dining room in Mozambique ...
When back in Africa, just two days from our return, I started to crochet away one of the 21 ( and 7 halves!) motifs needed for my shawl-to-be ....
The central motif is given by a simple flower, surrounded by a thick circular frame ...
that is included in a square made from chains ....
I didn't follow the instructions blindly, as they were telling me to crochet all the motifs first and then sew them together, when the crochet work was done .... not for me!!!
I preferred to use the join-as-you-go method and I trimmed all the squares once they were done ...
and little by little the shawl was taking its shape ...
at a certain point, the 21 motifs were all done and joined, so my work started to feel real ...
then, I had to start to crochet 7 half flowers/squares ....
and the main body of the shawl was quickly done ....
Which yarns did I use?????
The pattern suggests to use "Drops Vivaldi" yarns, but they are discontinued....
I didn't have the thought to buy new yarns, so the "discontinued" issue was not a real issue for me as the right yarns were in my basket at home .... the funny thing is that my yarns (bought some years ago in Indonesia) are discontinued, too, so, somehow, I respected the pattern requirements .... !!!!!
Anyway, my yarns are (still some leftovers!), using a 4mm hook :
JELLI BEEN double knitting (grape 2441) from ROBIN YARNS, 88% acrylic 12% polyester. I've used a ball (100g) and a little bit just for the flowers
MERINO MIX (shade 4-rouge) from KATIA, 60% merino superwash 40% acrylic, 3 balls (50g each) for the red frame around the flowers
SNUGGLY double knitting from SIRDAR, 55% nylon 45% acrylic, shade 0385 blue twist, 2 balls (50g each) for the squares
What next???
The BORDER !!!
This time I changed the hook size (5mm) and I decided to use a different colour, just to make the border pop out (BALMY PLUSS from B.B.B. filati, shade 287, 50% merino 50% acrylic) and I started to crochet an easy border made of chains (3 rounds)....
Once the border was done (YAY!!) I had to block the shawl, mostly to stretch the border, but I didn't have enough rubber squares to pin my shawl on .... I had to be patient a couple of days, before being able to start the last process ...
A lot of colourful pins and some sprayed water did the trick in the end ...
the day after, when completely dry, the shawl was taken off the blocking board and it was ready to show off !!!!
.... and I tried it even on my shoulders : proud mama !!!! ;oD
xxxx Alesandra
