FO: Vermont shawl

Pattern: Vermont Shawl by Hanna Breetz.  It's a semi-circular shawl with three leaf patterns, increasing in size and scale.  The increase in stitch count is magically worked over a few rows between patterns, providing a very graceful transition between the different motifs.  It's really excellently crafted. 

Process: This was fun to knit and actually not very complicated.  The pattern calls for you to repeat the last chart twice, and even though it was about a 40 stitch pattern, I was able to memorize it.  It did feel like I might still be knitting it at my retirement dinner, because those last rows were really, really l o n g. 

Product: I just think this shawl is beautiful.  I love how the leaves grow larger as they drift down the shawl.  I'm not exactly sure how to wear it, though, because it's so big.  I usually wear my smaller shawls around my neck almost like scarves.  Can I do that with this one?  And do I wear this in the summer or winter?  Or spring or fall, more like?  I really knit this for the challenge of knitting it, but it's so beautiful that I do want to wear it.  I just don't want to look like a 1950s granny. 

Yarn: Juniper Moon Farm Findley  This yarn is amazing, one of the most wonderful yarns I've worked with.  The colors are very rich and saturated, it has a smooth hand and the drape is somehow heavy and light at the same time.  It has substance to it, but it's also graceful.  I look forward to using it again. 

What I learned: Hmm, I used a new bind off, actually.  My mom just bought me the new Cast On, Bind Off by Leslie Ann Bestor, so I tried several of the bind offs recommended for lace.  I ended up using the Icelandic Bind Off, and it worked perfectly.  It's very stretchy, but still has some structure to it. 

Ravelry page here