November Shawl

It's been a quiet, cold November; a November of gentle rain and hushed smokey mornings, of mist and pale sun.

I haven't been sewing this month but I have been working on a slow crochet project. This shawl isn't anything fancy and it's almost mind-numbingly simple in it's repetition of rows but that very simplicity made it quite special as I worked on it, a little each day I could find time.

It being simple enabled me to work on it while also paying attention to other things. Somedays I worked on it almost-by-myself and thought many things, letting my mind travel inwards and beyond. Other days I worked on it while listening to YouTube documentaries or talks, especially on religious cults as well as the Adena and Hopewell mound builders (no, the two topics have no relation! 😂) I also worked on it while telling stories to the kids, especially of my own childhood and the time before they were born. This month I have been slowly working on the rather daunting task of gathering up all my old journals and diaries from my 8-year old self onward and writing a summary of my life stories, to give to my children one day. This month my goal was to get a bare outline ready to fill in later and telling stories to my children certainly helped me remember specific things in more detail and to remember other things I had long since forgot. So, crocheted into every stitch are memories of those times and all the feelings I had as I went through them.

This light, pretty yarn came to me on a hot evening in late July. It was too hot to be thinking much about cold weather but I knew I wanted to make something lovely with this yarn when I found it. Two skeins came home with me and I let it sit awhile, out of necessity, and thought about what I would make.

I decided at last to use it up and make a simple shawl, working it as big as the skeins would allow. I find that I have been using my wraps and shawls a lot lately, especially in the morning when I walk the kids to bus stop and need something I can easily throw on to dash out the door. The girls also really love wrapping up in the big shawls at night when they're watching a movie or reading a book. So, this will be used quite a lot!

I had a very tiny bit of yarn left after I finished the last row and cut it into strands to make a sparse fringe round the edges. The fringe would look  better if it were denser but, I am still happy with how it came out and happy that every bit of yarn was used!

Now if only my kitties wouldn't use it so often for a bed, I could use it for a wrap! 😂 Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, my loves. There is so much to be grateful for; especially for the joy of existing right here, right now.

Much love,
Sarah