Ahhh. After a lot of knitting missteps, being able to knit, block, and take pictures of a shawl within two weeks has been awesome and refreshing. I named this shawl Tamamushi on Ravelry, after the bright green Japanese beetle used to decorate the 7th century Tamamushi Shrine. I was actually able to see the shrine in person when I visited Horyuji. It shows a series of Jataka Tales, or stories of the sacrifices of the Bodhisattva that later became Shakyamuni Buddha. Because the iridescent green beetle wings used to color the shrine are long gone, I can only imagine how beautiful it was when it was first completed. This color really reminded me of that breathtaking green!
Remember how I mentioned the worries I had about the dye with this project? Well, they weren't completely unfounded - a washing in lukewarm water with some Ecover delicate wash turned the water completely turquoise! Luckily, after that initial washing and two more soaks - one in warm water and one in hot - the water ran pretty clear. I usually get a little bit of excess dye in the wash with most of my handwashed clothing and knits, and it ended up being within my limits of acceptable bleeding.
I'm really glad about that, because this shawl is gorgeous. I really love how seasilk blocks. When it was first finished, it was sort of a limp, wrinkly mess, but with a good block, the spine went from 16" deep to 23" deep (!!??!!) and the fabric turned crisp and drapey without losing any of its softness.
I'm slowly building up my jewel-toned shawl collection. I really like having brightly colored accessories for a little flash of color in my outfits, or for combining with other crazy colors in fun and interesting ways! I had just gotten home from work when Lumberjack took the pictures, so I just grabbed this thrifted black and grey minidress for something that wouldn't distract from the color.
Pattern: Swallowtail Shawl, by Evelyn Clark
Yarn: Lunayarns Luna SeaSilk in colorway Neptune's Daughter
Yardage: most of a 437 yard skein, probably ~415 yards
Needles: size 6 US Addi Turbo Lace
Modifications: I think I switched a k2tog to a ssk because it suited the line of the lace more, but no one will ever notice it. Hahah. Otherwise, this pattern is pure gold.
2 comments:
Beautiful!!! Lovely color!!
I'm knitting my Swallowtail shawl in sea silk, too! I'm slow to finish...it must be the multitude of socks on the needles that're distracting me!! Hah!
Thanks! I pined after this yarn for over a month before finally buying it on Etsy.
I can't even count how many lace pieces and socks I have languishing in my WIP basket, which were abandoned when I found newer and shinier projects to do. Nothing wrong with it if nobody's keeping count but you! :)
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