March 2011 note: gifted to Anneke. Will be going home to the Netherlands to join this shawl.

Finished! Unblocked, it looked awfully homely - yarn is unevenly spun, overspun, and poorly plied. Blocking did its usual magic and it looks pretty darn good.

Vital statistics: 94 grams/about 600 yards of yarn (had to use an extra bit I found that I had plied off a center-pull ball of leftovers). Measured 38” wide x 20” down center unblocked - blocked, it grew to 52” x 26”. Perfect size.

Lovely pattern - I would knit it again in a different yarn. One note: there’s an 8-stitch garter stitch border along the top edge, which you join at the center last thing. The join is in line with the strong center double decrease line. Because there are no decreases within the border, this makes a little curving “hump” at the top center of the shawl. It looks nice worn (and will usually not be seen), especially if you wear the shawl high and fold the top over to the back to form a shawl collar. Pattern says either to graft or use a 3-needle bindoff. I grafted first, and thought it looked awful, so redid it with a 3-needle bindoff. Done with right sides together, when you fold the top over for a collar, the bindoff line matches the double decrease line.

Hope to have enough yarn - there’s 580 yards. What fun knitting with my handspun for the first time!