Year of Projects 3: 9th February update

I showed you this blocking photo last week:

It only seems fair that I now share the beauty shots!

Project: Fairy Tale Shawl

Pattern: Ishbel by Ysolda Teague

Yarn: Knit Picks Capretta in Fairy Tale

Needle: 4.5mm

I followed the instructions for the small shawl for the stockinette portion of the shawl, then decided I had enough yarn left to do the additional chart repeats in the lace section for the large shawl. I have to say, it's pretty damn big as it is, I hesitate to think how big it would be if I did the large stockinette section as well! I guess it works out ok size-wise if you knit this in laceweight, though.

With the matching Ishbel Beret I knit last year

I can't wait to start wearing my matching set out and about while the winter weather is still upon us. The shawl and the beret between them used up just under 3 balls of Knit Picks Capretta, which is a wonderful yarn to knit with. I really enjoyed knitting the beret last year (as part of the Second Year of Projects), and I really enjoyed knitting the shawl this time around. It's such an easy lace pattern to remember, I can see why so many people recommend Ishbel as a first triangular shawl to relatively new knitters.

What makes these two projects really special is they wouldn't have been possible without the kindness and generosity of two other people. The patterns (as part of the Whimsical Little Knits book) were given to me by a fellow Raveller, and the yarn was part of a swap package from a fellow blogger. If Paula hadn't sent me this yarn, I would never have had the pleasure of knitting it, as you can't get hold of this particular Knit Picks yarn in the UK (Great British Yarns don't carry it). And she sent it in exactly the right colour for me as well! You don't get much better than that.