It’s back to the needles of the non-machine kind for this post!

Claire of Mollie and Claire started a KAL yesterday and, as I’ve long admired her beautiful shawls, I signed up for this one immediately. It’s funny how it takes something like a KAL to spur you into action sometimes, isn’t it?

It also made me use Ravelry properly for the first time, by which I mean interact and upload photos of WIPs etc.rather than just browse and download patterns. Quite the revelation, so thanks Claire!

I chose an utterly divine yarn by Rowan – Kidsilk Haze Stripe (70% Super Kid Silk Mohair, 30% Silk) in a colourway entitled ‘Circus’, pictured thus on the website: –

However, it looks like this knitted up so far……!

I’m hoping the pink will come out soon as I hadn’t intended to make a yellow and green shawl!

I have to admit that I’m a bit disappointed at the moment at the colours, although the yarn itself is stunning – so soft and extremely light that I just know it’s going to be a delight to wear.

I’m knitting on 4.5mm circular needles to give an open, lacy texture.

I also have a wrap on the go at the moment, crocheted though, not knitted this time.

I’m using Katia Jaipur 100% Cotton (shade 213) which is another self striping laceweight yarn.

Having bought the yarn from Deramores, I was browsing their blog when I spotted a competition that they were running here.

I had already decided to make a rainbow coloured wrap and the self striping nature of the yarn would be perfect for one of the competition themes, so I may enter it for a bit of fun:)

This is progress so far: –

The design is called Alpine Frost by Amy O’Neill Houck and can be found on Ravelry.

It’s a very simple repeated shell stitch which is rather easier to do on auto-pilot than the lace leaf shawl above!

As I mentioned, we are due to become first time Grandparents in September, so I made a third laceweight shawl!

This one is Malabrigo 100% Baby Merino Wool (not Alpaca, as I initially thought) and is super soft in cream – perfect for a baby of either sex.

It was crocheted on a 3.75mm hook, the design being a giant granny square bordered with two rows of scallop pattern – simple, but effective with such fine yarn.

It would make a nice Christening shawl as well I think.

Is anyone else doing a CAL or KAL at the moment?