Alex comfort shawl!

I'm posting this today, because I don't have time tomorrow.

Alex is a dear friend of my daughter Hannah's. She's just a few years younger than I am, and is a mother of five. She was diagnosed with lung cancer just a couple of weeks ago. I don't know her personally, but from what my daughter told me, I felt I had to do something. So, even before I decided to do the Christl shawl (decided to do that one while waiting for the yarn to arrive), I thought of knitting a shawl for Alex, who as I understand, has not only to deal with cancer, but has a lot of other stress in her life right now.

I asked Maggie if she would dye me some yarn in colores, which would mimic those gem stones: Riebeckite - Dioptase - Fluarite - Chrysocolla

and as you can see, she did a fantastic job! I love the yarn. (I'm so glad there's some left over!) I've never loved knitting with any yarn as much before, as I did with this yarn or rather colorway. I don't know why that is, I just kept smiling while knitting. I did not knit on the shawl when I was upset (rather often lately), but wanted this shawl be in NO way negative. I choose those gem stone colores, because these gem stones are supposedly good for the respiratory system. Every little thing helps, one hopes!

This shawl turned out huge! I think it's the largest I've ever made.

Here are some specifics for you:

yarn: "Crystalline" by Dyed in the wool handmade, 100% superwash merino, 115g/378yds - used 2 3/4 skeins = 1029yds

needles: 4mm addi lace circs

pattern: this shawl was assembled by me, from the booklet "Knitting Lace Triangles" by Evelyn A. Clark. In this booklet she gives you four lace patterns, which you can use in whatever order you wish. She gives the beginnings, the main lace pattern, transition rows, and one edging for all of them. All her sample shawls in there are tiny. If you wish, you can make many different lace shawls from this book. Unfortunately for me, I only like the ripple lace and the leave lace. I don't like the flower lace and the medallion lace patterns.

If you have this booklet and like the shawl the way I made it here's a little recipe:

Ripple lace beginning - 18 rows

Ripple lace repeats incl. transition rows: 50 rows

Leaf lace repeats incl. transition rows: 50 rows

Ripple lace repeats incl. transition rows: 40 rows

Leaf lace repeats: 50 rows (no transition to edging needed)

Edging: 8 rows

Bind off row.

size after blocking: 46" x 86"

The shawl will be on its way tomorrow. I wish Alex all the best!