My winter has been full of - SPINNING, trying to replenish stock ready for shows and visitors.
One big event in our family did fill up Christmas time, a new baby, and he needed a handspun, handknitted shawl from his granny. He has 4 siblings each with their own baby shawl so no question, he needed his shawl as well.
With 4 other shawls in the family I needed a different colour combination for this one. So the thinking hat was on, trying to decide what colour to dye for the border, or maybe the main colour? A search for the fleece inspired the design, it came from the fleece - a soft grey 'fleckit' fleece - just perfect for a simple grey shaded border. Not my usual colouring for the border, but a bit special as it is spun from one fleece.
A picture of the fleece just did not happen, I was in too much of a hurry to spin the yarn - I had a deadline, babys arrive whether the shawl is ready or not. But a photo of this fleckit fleece would just have looked like a grey fleece. Separating the fleece for different shades of grey was a little tricky, and you never know how successful you have been until the spinning is done and the yarn is washed and the hanks are dry. That done, it was a relief to have 5 shades of grey! and knitting could start.
The shawl was finished when the new little baby boy was a week old, so he used his older brothers shawl till his was ready.
The new shawl added to the family collection, each with a very different coloured design. Hope they like them when they grow up and might need a shawl for their own family.
All 5 shawls stacked up.
The newest at the bottom, then 2 for the big sisters, an indigo blue for one brother, a multi coloured shawl for brother number 2.
In the top shawl I used small amounts of leftover yarn from each of the other shawls. Love that one.
And here is the newest shawl, a perfect shimmer of light greys.
... and a little boy, starting to grow up, wrapped in his shawl.
... comfy, cosy and warm, all wrapped up and asleep. Hands tucked in so he doesnt scratch his face, but always room to move inside a knitted wool shawl.
