Spring Cleaning and Spring Waiting

First things first: I'm hosting a Knit-Along right here beginning April 2nd. I'm calling it the "Spring Cleaning KAL" (crocheting and spinning are also highly encouraged!). I've read so many posts about how many works-in-progress we all have piling up or how we are only knitting from the stash this year that I thought we might need a place to gather and encourage one another in these endeavors for a month. For the entire month of April, pick up your poor, forgotten WIPs or pull out your stash and let's churn out some projects! Sound good? Good! There will be prizes, too. ;) I'll give you all of the details on Monday.

It's been cold and rainy around here. As warm and sunny as my shawl is, it has no power over the weather, unfortunately. :P

Damaskos

Pattern: Damask by Kitman Figueroa
Yarn: SweetGeorgia Yarns Cashluxe Fine in Lemon Curd
Needles: US 6 (and 10.5 for the cast-on)
Project Page

I've been drooling over this pattern for years! I queued it in 2011 and here it is at last. I won a gift certificate a couple of years ago, I believe it was, during one of Very Shannon's KALs. I knew immediately that I wanted luxurious yarn for this wonderfully complex shawl and I got it. Cashmere in a golden color fit for the queen of Damaskos!

It really only looks wonderfully complex. Lace is great that way. You don't have to know how to do anything complicated for the pattern to look complicated. It is all decreases and yarn-overs. The nupps are a pain to purl together, but incredibly easy to do otherwise. I couldn't use the pattern's charts because there were a lot of them scattered throughout the pattern, they used non-standard symbols, and the key to them was on the 17th page. I am lazy and often don't print patterns, so digitally flipping between pages didn't appeal to me in the least. I realize my complaints could easily be remedied with a tiny bit of printing, even if only of the key. :) It was just easier to use the written line-by-line directions.

The pattern provided directions for three sizes. I knit the largest because I love huge shawls. I wish this were even a bit larger, however. That's the problem with bottom-up shawls: you can't make them bigger when you get to the end. :P It probably wouldn't be difficult to make it extra large. You would just cast on 34 extra stitches, working one extra 17-st repeat on each side of the shawl. Should work....

In any case, I love it. I loved working on it and now I can love wearing it!

For more FO Friday posts, go to Tami's Amis!