Fomhar, finished

This stole got finished on the last day of October along with Samhainn. October is the end of Autumn and harvest (fomhar) in the Gaelic calendar so while unplanned, it was appropriate that I finished my Fomhar as well. I started this piece last November and worked on it occasionally over the course of the year aiming to have it finished by this fall. I completed the stitching in mid-September and finally found some time and space to sit down and block.

I'll be honest, I have no idea what the best way to block a lace shawl like this is. As usual, I looked up the finished measurements in the pattern and, once I determined that I used a similar amount of yarn, started from those numbers. While pinning I added some extra stretch where I had the give for it, which made my piece slightly wider. The thing that stumped me was how to deal with all the detail along the scalloped edges. I tried several ways of pinning out the chain loops and shells but in the end I did what I will dub 'the lazy man's block' and just spread the points out evenly along the wires. I'm sure there is a more correct approach of pinning out each of the motifs, but I didn't find a shape I liked.

I should have measured it before I blocked because for sure it grew. And as one might expect, the lace panels in the middle look totally different and super fancy with all the fans and clusters spread out. 

My favorite thing about this piece is the color. The coppers, golds, and greens swirl around and mix quite pleasantly. To be somewhat poetic, it reminds me of a forest floor in fall. I'm happy to have a bit of this yarn left for another project. 

I scratched several crafty itches with this project: do some crochet for a change, use yarn from the stash, and make a project out of one of my books/magazines (this was from an Interweave Crochet magazine). I really enjoyed the change of pace from knitting and, while I'm not very sure how one wears a stole with panache, I'm sure I'll figure something out. I just hope I can find something to show off the wonderful colors!

Pattern: Inspiration Stole by Lisa Naskrent (my Ravelry project page)
Yarn: Madeline Tosh Prairie in 'Filigree'
Hook: G (4 mm)
Dimensions: 64" x 20"