This is the Heaven And Space Shawl. I knitted it over the course of a year, little realising that I’d finish in time for yellow to be this season’s colour. Guess I’m just lucky to be a slow knitter!
It was made using yarn bought from Strictly Knitting on the Isle of Wight. Ella and I always make a point of visiting this shop when I’m on the island.
The wool is beautiful – I wish I could remember the brand.
I felt bad about how long it took me to knit this shawl, until someone reminded me that it had accompanied me on a significant journey, watching me slowly turn my life around. It was my commute knit, as I darted around London, to Bologna and Frankfurt, through winter and summer, networking my little tush off.
Building a new chapter in my career took guts. Turns out, it also took knitting.
I still felt perplexed by this shawl when I finished and pinned it out. It was a long saffron snake, writhing with a life I didn’t quite understand until I blocked those 3D ripples into parallelograms.
Finally, I started to wear my shawl and discovered that I rather liked its golden twists and turns.
Funny how life turns out. I think I must keep this shawl for ever, and remember what it taught me. To choose a quicker project next time!
This is stunning! The colour is just gorgeous, mustard and stripes look so good together too. It’s sounds like it has some memories attached to it too which is lovely.
This is stunning! Mustard looks great with navy stripes too. I love the colour and it sounds as though it has some memories attached to it too.
It’s beautiful, Karen. I haven’t knitted for years but having knitted a couple of jumpers in my time, I can totally appreciate how each of those little stitches carry lots of little memories relating to time and place and more. Quite magical really. x
That is a thing of great beauty! You look fabulous wafting around with it.
I really like it. I have sewing projects like that, which represent some job or another I was working on at the time. Hand stitching. Used to be annoyed by it, but I found that it helps balance out the non-manual (computer) based parts of my work.
Your shawl is so lovely, it must be a joy to wear! And it sounds as if it is a good friend, also!
Wow, what a picture of you! That bright green background of trees and grass is perfect for your outfit of the navy and stripes and then the bright yellow shawl is the icing on the cake! Picture perfect! I hope every time you wrap it around your shoulders, the sweet memories warm your hear.
Warm your heart! ❤️
What a beauty! The shawl looks amazing as as Nurse Bennett mentioned above you look gorgeous too standing within the lush green leaves!
From across the pond… I primarily sew but this shawl may get me back to knitting! I love the shawl and especially on you.
Beautiful shawl, and worth the time. It will be an heirloom for someone very, very knitworthy.
The photographs are luminous and yellow is such a happy colour. I love the intricacy, careful accuracy and insane time commitment represented by the shawl – surely a great metaphor for your own career path. I am in awe of you taking such a big brave step and working so hard with your amazing new business. I salute you Karen Ball.
Thank you so much!
It is wonderful. Those knits are the sort you keep hold of for life. I really like that it is big size too. Jo x
Awesome colour.