More KAL knitting

Mr L is away on his travels, the Winter Shawl is finished bar the blocking, and I am in need of occupation. Thus a new KAL project arises -  and I have cast on Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Pi Shawl.

My Pi is to be a blanket. It was inspired by Brooklyn Tweed’s beautiful version. I mean “inspired” – it was never intended to be a copy. Having taken his lead on the yarn to be used, I was very surprised after popping off to look at the very many shades available, to find that I had purchased the exact shade that Jared had used for his!

The Pi Shawl is to be found in EZ’s Knitter’s Almanac ((Knitter’s Almanac: Projects for Each Month of the Year)) in the chapter for July. The basic pattern is given, with optional variations – and encouragement to experiment and explore. My blanket is for our shared bed and I want it to be both unfussy and inoffensive to the sensibilities of the man that I share my life with – so, probably nothing really lacy. I didn’t want a completely plain stocking stitch bed cover, though – and holes do help with trapping warmth (like a cellular blanket) – so I opted for the round of eyelets on every sixth round. Oh, look, so did Jared…

My plan, at this stage, is to stick to the eyelets, and maybe add one ring section of a lace pattern that is yet to be chosen. The edge will be EZ’s suggested sideways knit-on garter stitch border. Again, uncannily like Jared’s choices, but nonetheless my own chosen route.

The Ocker cast on was a little trying – difficult to tighten the ring with such fragile wisps of fibre… but eventually I did get it going and got to 38 rounds knitted by the time I had satisfactorily worn myself out and able to fall into bed and drop straight off.

I am going to knit like fury on this piece of fairly mindless knitting and fill all the hours until Mr L comes home to me again. When the mindlessness and repetition get too much I’ll either throw in a lace section, or work on some fingerless mitts. Purple ones – there’s been rather a lot of green around here lately and I am in need of a splash of bright colour.

I’ll take the blanket to Craft Club tonight, I think.

Comfort Pi-a-la-mode