It definitely came out a bit larger than I had intended, but I did have a lot of fun making it. Once I’m finished with mine, I will write up the story that goes with it. I have until Spring to get it done so that I can send it to my sister for her birthday. I’m really excited and also have no idea if she will like it. Although, she once said to me she would wear anything I made her. Which, of course, made me tear up.
The beginning of the shawl. I started them at the campsite. There is almost nothing better than sitting in the sun knitting. A pebble pattern for the gravel road we came in on and camped alongside. It definitely stirs up some sensory memories for me. I hope it does for her too. I did some basic rope cables next to represent the ropes we used for the tent I slept in every night with at least one kid. And the ropes used for the rain tarp my step-dad put up (we helped, but it is his creation-he’s an engineer).
We went to the beach almost every day. It was our morning activity before lunch. It’s a bit hard to see, but the blue bit in the shawl does look like waves in the sand. Then more rope cables. My sister and her husband brought their dog and he has to be kept on a leash. He’s a wonderful dog, but not very comfortable around excitable children. So this is a bit representative of their pup being with us. I say pup, but he is a huge German Shepherd.
There were, naturally, trees everywhere. Leaves all over the place. So there is a lace leaf pattern to remind us of all those beautiful trees. And some of the fun games we played as well. Then I added some Viking braids and knots as a nod to our Irish, Scottish, Celt ancestry. I guarantee we have Norse is our ancestry, somewhere. We were never really the braid each other’s hair and talk about boys sort of sisters. We challenged each other and tried to make our own way in the world, but we always had each other’s back when it counted. We are strong and fierce women who not only survived a tough childhood, but thrived because of the family that was there for us (my family’s family is not just blood relatives). I also wanted a connection to our ancestry for both of us.
And the last section is a lacy star pattern for hanging out by the fire until the stars came out.
A few more rows in the cable section to go, and then it’s on to the lacy stars for the finish. Part of the Sister Shawl story is also the colors I chose. We both have white, her marble color is more of a blue while mine is more of a purple, and the self-striping yarn has a few different shades for each. I also did not repeat the colors in the same order. We come from the same family and have been given a lot of the same clothes, opportunities, friends, and such over the years – especially since we are so close in age – but we always put our own spin on everything and we are pretty different people. It’s been a crazy and trying journey, but I have the most amazing sister and am so happy that age has brought us closer together.
The Accidental Domestic Goddess 