Perseverance, Progress and Patience

Every crafter, including me, needs the three Ps: perseverance, progress and patience.  What do they mean?

Finished afghan with completed border

1) Perseverance means eventually I will finish a project given the appropriate effort (i.e. not leaving it in the bottom of a basket hidden in the back of the closet!).  For example, my long languishing Bernat Mystery CAL from 2010 is finally finished!  Yup, got the border done and am now slowly working through the finishing process (i.e. weaving in all those pesky ends--lots of ends!!).

Detail of border/edging

2) Progress means that work continues on current WIPs.  For example, my Cashsilk Fern scarf continues to grow.  It's almost 20 inches which is nothing to sneeze at.  I continue to peck at that daily, even though it's slow going (go figure that thin yarn takes longer to grow, but grow it does).

Halfway for Cashsilk Fern scarf

3) Patience means having to wait before I embark on a new project.  On our last foray into the big city, we visited LK Yarns .  Having been there before, I knew the shop had products at many price points, but some lovely Handmaiden's Mini-Maiden tempted me.  It's ruby colour and soft silken feel whispered in my ear until I could resist no more.  At $30 a skein, it's some of the most expensive yarn I've ever bought (I bought 2 skeins).  Based out of Halifax, Handmaiden Yarns makes luxurious hand-dyed yarns that command a luxurious price.  Lucky for me, most of the Mini-Maiden was discounted, and I suspect it might have been because the labels were missing (So really I saved money.  And periodically repeating that to myself assuages my guilt, LOL). 

Handmaiden Mini-Maiden in Ruby

Special yarn needs a special pattern.  After many hours spent searching for the right pattern, I decided on the larger shawl version of Ashton Shawlette .  Although the pattern was highly recommended by knitters at Ravelry's Beginning-Lace-Knitters Group, I feared the project might be a wee bit above my skill level.  Even with all my lace experience, my projects tended to have simple lace stitches with simple rectangular shapes.  My only shawl project was a simple garter-stitch shawl.   

Drops Fabel in Sunset for first lace shawl

What to do?  Use less expensive yarn (I'm looking at you Drops Fabel) and attempt a simplified shawlette to learn about shawl construction.   The Oaklet Shawl with its stockinette body and lace border should fit the bill nicely.  It'll be my traveling/airport/try-not-to-freak-out-on-the-plane project.  Then when I feel more braver, I can use the expensive stuff.  

Yummy Yarn

Yarns Plus Silken Twist in seascape

I bought this yummy silk-wool blend almost four years ago at Romni Wools in Toronto (Plan to visit family in TO over the summer, so hopefully there's a trip to Romni Wools in the near future).

Cashsilk Fern Scarf with yarn

At just over 400 yards, I'm hoping there is enough to make a reasonably long lace scarf for yours truly (I think the colours will compliment nicely with my turquoise winter jacket).  I was eyeing Cashsilk Fern Scarf, a pattern I'd added to my Rav fave list almost five years ago.

After reading comments from others who've made the scarf, I decided to add a moss stitch border along the ends and on either side.  That's an extra 10 stitches to the 66-stitch width.  I hope my scarf will still be long enough . . .