I started this shawl back in September when I abandoned the shawl I’d started the previous summer – yes that would be summer 2010. If I hadn’t touched it for over 12 months it wasn’t going to be finished any time soon. I don’t knit much lace because I find it a bit messy, or maybe it’s because I don’t really have any reason to do lacy things or it could just be that I don’t really like knitting it – loath as I am to admit not liking anything knitty other than circular needles and intarsia (that’s multi colour knitting for the non knitters and should not be confused with fairisle).
Anyhoo, after deciding I wanted to knit a lace shawl, and even though the first one didn’t get very far, I searched for another pattern on Ravelry, which again to the non knitters is kinda like Facebook for knitters but with added extras. You can see how finished items look not just as per the pattern but as knit/crocheted by other knitters. I’d once seen a blanket pattern that I just loved and after having checked it out on Ravelry and seeing finished articles it put me right off.
It turned out that the majority of the shawls I liked were all by the same designer, Birgit Freyer. So I tootled off to her website and selected myself ‘Flamenco‘.* Now I have no trouble knitting with fine yarn but I do like knitting it on fine needles, so cobwebby yarn on 4.5 mm needles I find a bit, you guessed it, messy and fiddly as well.
I have been perservering, and undoing – which is extra fiddly and here’s how it looks so far…
The big plus is that I’ve got plenty of yarn for when it tips me over the edge and I throw it out the window and start again.
Other creative spaces can be found here.
* When I went to Birgit’s website to link to the pattern and saw her beautiful finished article I could have cried!
Feresaknit's Blog 
That’s a great pattern. Lace always makes me want to persevere – I’ve always invested too long to give up on it. I’m sure yours will look just like Birgit’s when you’ve blocked it!
Love the description of Ravelry!!
Well this is beautiful work..I wish I could knit.. its the one thing I have never tried… :(… hope all is well with you…i havent’ got to post for a good while… back issues… blah… hiope to over soon..
To my unpractised eye it looks quite delicate and lovely…call me impressed!
Just gorgeous! Love the pattern you picked!
you are amazing.
I did some time/efficiency calculations on the level of production that streams from your talented hands, Paula. When Becker could ‘bend it into the goal from a midfield side kick, that was freakish. When Quarterback for the NE patriots American football team, Tom Brady, throws for over three hundred yards on his way to another Superbowl, thats freakish. having a knitting piece completed at each blog is freakish talent as well. Like Sandy, I’m impressed…
Why, oh why did I click on your flamenco link? Now I’ve got to learn how to knit one of her cardigans (I was going to say cardies, but it didn’t seem appropriate.)
Is your yarn pink or is it a trick of the camera/ox blood chair?
well done for picking it up !
its beautiful, and you will love that you persevered with it .x