Swallowtail

Lest it appear that I only take trips and visit friends, let me present my interpretation of one of the more popular patterns from Ravelry--the Swallowtail shawl. Knitting isn't as high on my list of interests as some other things, however, when I saw a book of lace shawl patterns, I decided that they were incredibly beautiful. And besides, I had to prove to myself that I could do something like that--especially after hearing how difficult lace knitting can be. As it turns out, it does have its challenges, but I was pretty happy with my first attempt.

The yarn was a 100% rayon weaving fiber from the Weaving Works. I picked it out initially because I loved the color. It didn't have the give to it that wool does, but it also didn't get fuzzy with repeated pulling in and out of my bag so I was able to more easily see the stitches and pattern definition.

This photo is the whole shawl pinned for blocking. This one was taken without a flash and gives a much better idea of the color. Yes, there is still an end or two to be worked in. I added several repeats of the center pattern in order to make it just a bit bigger. I wasn't sure how much it would stretch when blocked and wanted it to generously cover my shoulders.

A closeup of the tip pattern:

Along the side: