Some of my knitting projects offer instant gratification like hats and some socks, but some I really need to work on like the hoodie I started in June, a few pairs of socks and some shawls. Shawls are big esp if you’re doing stockinette flat and you end up with over 400 stitches that you purl on the wrong side with yarn-overs that like to straddle the knit stitch every now and then so you cannot work without looking at the needles.

Ahem, anyway. I finished my first Miriam Felton shawl and, while this is a big-ass shawl, I loved every minute of it.


I first heard of Mim when I saw Adamas Shawl projects in Ravelry. It must have been the very first pattern I stalked on Ravelry and I bought Knit Picks Shadow for that pattern specifically. However I have never started that project. I think I bought these T-pins at the same time as well.

Anyway, back to the shawl in question. The large stockinette body is a breeze. The lace, which I knitted from the written instructions, gets very intuitive that you only need to do the first two repeats and then off you go. As soon as I hit Chart B, it started getting longer to finish one row. And the project, despite being made with fingering weight yarn, started growing heavy on the needles so I had to knit with it cradled on my lap.

I contemplated using beads actually but since I’ve never done it before and I wasn’t sure where to place the beads, I let it go. Maybe next time on another shawl.

I dropped this project for a while as I had to complete other projects. But getting back to it was not a problem. I also never used lifelines when knitting shawls, even though the experts recommend that you do so. I guess I was just confident in what I was doing and the lace pattern wasn’t as confusing.

I’m glad I used the larger needle to bind off. It seemed awkward as I was doing it, sloppy even, but the resulting elastic edge is perfect. It made my scallops really deep and the points much pointier than my usual shawl edge.

The final product ended up much bigger than I thought it would be. The wingspan is 86 inches and the centre spine measures 38.5 inches. It. Is. Huge. My boys had to each take a corner to hold it up properly.

Eibee couldn’t spread it out fully, but this shot shows the drape of the shawl and the sheer size of it. I love the silk and merino blend. This is only the second time that I have knitted with my own hand-dyed but from this success, I’m sure this will not be the last.

Project: Pure Light (Raveled!)
Pattern: Seraphim Shawl by Miriam L. Felton
Yarn: Faith, Hope and Love by Dubai Knits, colourway Sea Turtles (I used 2.5 skeins so about 963 yards)
Needles: 4mm for the shawl, 7.5mm for the bind off
Cast on: 12 Sept 2010
Cast off: 15 Oct 2010
Notes: No mods, knit as per the pattern.