Mermaids Lair

Now that I've completed my Christmas knitting, I am free to cast this yarn on.  This was a gradient pack from Hilltop Cloud which I got at WoolFest this year.  I spun this on the drop spindle but I've plied it on the wheel.  Above you can see the fibre pack and the early part of the two plying balls.  Unfortunately the yarn is very underplied. I am struggling more with the fast whorl on my wheel than with the slower two and it shows in this yarn.  Although its a bit splitty to knit with due to the plies not being very well twisted, its knitting up well and its soooooo soft and fluffy.  I think it will develop a halo when washed. 

 I've not spun up quite all of it actually, there is still about 30 grammes left but it looked like I was going to have enough for the shawl so I've left the rest.  It can always be spun up later if I need to make the shawl larger. 

Not having a particularly clear idea of just how far the yarn would go, I've cast on the Shady Glen Shawl, which is reasonably simple pattern, and has the advantage of being a "knit until you are almost out of yarn, or you think its big enough, then add the edging" type of pattern.  Very pleased with its progress so far and I hope that it is going to be ready to wear in the photos for my planned SWAP. 

I am loving the shawl pattern.  It has just enough detail to make it interesting to knit, but its a very simple, short pattern repeat, easy to follow on the chart, so its reasonably quick to knit because its easy to memorise.

  I have just got to the first change of colour in the gradient and its coming out just how I hoped it would and I'm very much enjoying the knitting of it.