It IS a Wrap!

Up until I unpinned it this morning, and flung it around my shoulders, I still wasn't sure if this finished object would be a wrap or a table runner, or a whatever. But the decision has been made: it's a wrap.

And a lovely wrap it is. The Conshohocken Softball Cotton (Green/Natural Fox Fiber organic), sportweight yarn didn't seem to shrink at all in the pot, and it blocked out longer than I expected. Before boiling and blocking, it was 16" x 75". After pinning, it was 20" x 82", which is a healthy length for a shawl. It weighs just under 10 ozs, and used between 800-1,000 yds of yarn (I knitted directly from the cone, and forgot to weigh the cone before starting). I used size 5 needles, 90 sts, and worked from both ends. Note to self: no more Kitchenering across 90 sts. It took well over an hour to join the ends (and the join looks sloppy- which is the fault of the Kitchenerer, not the stitch itself). The 4 lace patterns are all original (though the lower one was inspired by one I saw somewhere online, but I can't remember where), and variably successful. I'd skip #2 from the end, and eliminate some of the holes in the dividing sections of the center length, and I can tell already that the edges are going to roll, but otherwise, I am pleased.

The wet shawl was a lovely khaki green, but it dried lighter- it's now a nice pastel green (much greener than the unboiled yarn, but not as dark as I'd like). I boiled it for almost an hour, but we have untreated artesian well water that is very alkaline, so perhaps in spring water, it would have come out a different color.

I think I'm going to have to find a nice shawl pin to wear with this, and I imagine this will show up as a Freebie Friday pattern eventually. The Lace Fever has not abated- I cast on The Yarn Harlot's Snowdrop Shawl (pattern available on her blog- link on the right side of this page), in Pima Cotton. I'm glad I finally found a use for all those cones of cotton yarn I bought for no reason that I can remember. This cotton yarn is tighter and finer than the Conshohocken- but it should loosen up after washing.