In which Bug catches a swallow by the tail

or something like that...

• Swallowtail Shawl by Evelyn A. Clark (Interweave Knits, Fall 2006)
  
• My handspun yarn (made from AllSpunUp Bluefaced Leicester Roving), 100% Bluefaced Leicester Wool, (442 yards / 115 g per skein), ~0.87 skeins, colorway "Shallow Water"
  
• US 5 (3.75 mm) Knitpicks Options Circular Needles
  

I must confess that I've been pretty busy lately with a new job that requires a long, multi-part public transportation commute, so this post is a little late (as I finished the shawl about a month ago).

I followed the pattern pretty closely and didn't do anything differently (that I know of). The nupps gave me some trouble, but I got better at them with time, and I think they add a little somethin' - somethin' to the overall look, so I'm glad I did them :)

I used my handspun yarn, and the color transitions worked out nicely. Here's a refresher of what it looked like in roving form and all spun up(!), in a lovely little skein. I must compliment Kristen (of All Spun Up) on her color sense - her rovings are always gorgeous.




The leftovers:



Here the shawl is blocking...



I have been admiring Swallowtails online for quite a while, so I'm very happy to finally have my own :)




Here are some close-ups of the three main patterns, from the center outward:





I do love these colors!



Here you can see the "wrong side":




... and with light shining through:





I had to persuade Bug to model the shawl. At first he was more than a little annoyed (hello - I'm trying to nap here):



...but he warmed up to it:





In fact, he kind of lost himself for a bit:



He appreciated the lovely colors and pleasing pattern, but what really won Bug over was his discovery that Swallowtail makes an excellent curtain in a sunny window - letting through just the right amount of skin-warming light.




Happy Lincoln's Birthday (and Charles Darwin's, too)... and Happy almost Valentine's Day :)