Alpaca Embrace

Back in November, Alpaca With a Twist sent me some yarn as part of a contest they were having on Ravelry.  A couple weeks ago, a very good friend asked if I'd make her a shawl, and I realized that this dk weight alpaca would be perfect--light but warm.

I believe knitters have a responsibility to a) not knit ugly things just because the pattern is interesting,* and b) not give knitted items as gifts to people unless they really want them.  I tend not to knit for people unless they ask me to do so.  It isn't because I don't want to give people knitted gifts; it's that I don't want to be the crazy relative/friend from whom gifts are received that no one wants and everyone feels they have to pretend to love because they took a thousand years to knit.

Once Lynn asked me for something, I went into hyperdrive, sending her pictures of different options and thinking about yarn.  We chose a pattern called Ember's Embrace, and I told her that I'd have it done by the Fall.

Ember's Embrace in Alpaca with a Twist Baby Twist in 0100 (natural), 1006 (navy), 4004 (green), 3011 (pink),  and 2009 (purple) 

Now that I've started knitting, I'm finding it hard to stop.  I think I can eek out one more set of stripes (although they may be a bit narrower and need some blocking encouragement) before I bind off.  I added an extra repeat in each row so it would be (hopefully) about 24" wide.  I'm shooting for 60" in length, but I don't know if that's doable or not.

I've decided this is too bulky for vacation knitting, which has just lit a stronger fire under me to try to get it done before we leave.  This is ridiculous as there is no reason to get it done, but crazy is as crazy does.

*Seriously, this is hard to do.  It doesn't sound hard to do, but it is.