I am Lily - stitcher and part time bookseller. Mother to my gorgeous girl, Abigail and wife to Julian. I make time each day to let my imagination potter and add quirky prettiness and handmade comfort to our home and lives. You can email me at lily(at)blockaday(dot)com
the loveliness - and sigh of relief! - of a finished shawl
It’s done!
It’s blocked - it has tassles - I love it!
It has so much colour and warmth and energy. I know that when the chilly mornings eventually come, I will feel very cosied by this shawl.
And best of all - I started and finished a project in a short space of time.
You’ve probably noticed - this is my greatest weakness. I’m awesome at starting - the thrill of a new project - selecting or working out the design, choosing the fabrics or yarn, the excitement of beginning and seeing how the colours and patterns work. And I truly love all of that. It makes my week.
But then, I become flustered by it, unsure that I can produce the final product that I can so vividly see in my mind’s eye, and after a week or so, the new project winds up in a box or hanging on the side of the wardrobe, awaiting the mystical moment when I rediscover it and have the confidence and motivation to finish it. That doesn’t often happen :-?
So here’s my lovely shawl - started and finished. And I’ve made a concerted effort to find other such projects lately - the kokeshi doll, the apron, the sit-upons - started and finished. And I’m still stitching away at my whale - and loving every moment of it.
It may have taken me until March to arrive at my hope for 2009, but here I am and I’m going to work towards it in baby steps. Enjoy the finishing of projects. Put the anxiety in a box, banish it to the back of the wardrobe and find more confidence in what I do. Start with little projects, refrain from placing unrealistic and unnecessary deadlines upon myself, make plenty of time to do the things that need to be done and time for those that are good for the soul.
Because it is about allowing our creativity and imagination to soar, to enrich our lives, to give pleasure to us and those we love. Isn’t it :-)
And I have just loved knitting this beautiful shawl. It fills me with such happiness each time I look at it. ’Cause that’s all I can do with it at the moment - it’s still hot, hot, hot, the mosquitoes are steaming in the humidity and the geckos are pooping on my fabric. Ah the joys of living in Brisbane :-)
17 March, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Oh, I just love it. Here the winter is over, but having a such shawl would be great for those still chilly mornings. Great job, it is truly beautiful. I am the same way with the projects. I get excited for the new one very quickly and have a hard time finishing the old one. I am working on it though. Have a great day!
17 March, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Absolutely beautiful - no wonder you enjoyed knitting it - such wonderful colours!
Hugs - Lurline?
17 March, 2009 at 12:54 pm
I have a feeling many of those with creative minds and hands suffer the same malady, as do I! But eventually, I finish all things. Your shawl is beautiful. Where I live, a shawl is a year-round necessity. I have one, 100% wool, from Ireland, but in viewing yours, I just might have to resurect my knitting needles, and make it 2!
17 March, 2009 at 2:09 pm
what a wonderful shawl! It deserved to be finished!
I am also a great one for starting things and then leaving them unfinished. This year I hope to get all things finished too.
17 March, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Hi Lily, Your shawl looks so warm and lovely!!! It is so nice to have in cool evenings (I suppose there will be some..).
17 March, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Been there, done that, still do… I’m very good at starting new things too (as I’m sure you’ve noticed!), but I’ve become better at finishing, although it might take a while.
And now you’ve finished your shawl - well done! It looks really beautiful with all the lovely colour changes. It’s tempting to go find some beautiful yarn and make one for myself, but I will fight the urge - for a while, at least ;-)
17 March, 2009 at 7:17 pm
Lily, I’m with you on the thrill of getting things started. It really is wonderful to get the ideas out of the ether and onto fabric, fibre or some such. I hope the shawl keeps you nice and snug in the winter to come.
And the apron is wonderful too. Kind of like those grunge style (in a good way) aprons over jeans of the 90’s. I so wanted one.
17 March, 2009 at 9:39 pm
You are amazing! I am the world’s slowest knitter. I am going to take a leaf from your book and do some finishing over the next couple of weeks too.
17 March, 2009 at 9:40 pm
It’s really beautiful!
17 March, 2009 at 10:33 pm
I am always happy to hear of another member in the “we start them” club. What a club…exclusive, but not elitist! The shawl is divine! I love love love it so much…the tassles make it all the prettier.
17 March, 2009 at 10:35 pm
It is beautiful.
I just know it will come in handy, you will get your cool weather eventually!
18 March, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Your shawl is LOVELY, Lily! Just beautiful. I’m enjoying looking at each stripe of color. Beautiful! And finishing is beautiful. For myself, I know I wouldn’t get as much finished without external deadlines. And I punish myself when other things don’t get finished. I love your goal.
18 March, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Your shawl is beautiful! I love it. When I saw that you started your, I had to start one too. I hope that it turns out as lovely as yours.
18 March, 2009 at 5:22 pm
What a gorgeous shawl! Love the striping. It looks so snuggly.