Even if you haven’t had a productive year, blogging makes it feel like you did when you wait almost 365 full days to talk about it.
That’s what happened with this Campside shawl that I finished last April after having a doozy of a winter.
Let me explain. For those of you not in the know, I’m going through a divorce. My soon-to-be-ex-husband and I officially separated in May of 2018. I spent the next six months reveling in my newfound freedom and loving on my amazing friends - it was a great time. Last winter, however, reality hit; it was really hard for me because even though I know it’s all for the best, it’s still a major life adjustment. Although I won’t get into details here, I will say it’s tough feeling like you’re alone, or that divorce is shameful. It’s not something people talk about for those reasons and everyone’s “pick yourself up by your bootstraps” mentality doesn’t help, either.
(Here’s some unsolicited advice for those of you with friends or family members going through divorce: don’t treat them like they just need to pick themselves up by the bootstraps. Because they will want to strangle you with said bootstraps.)
Anyway, I wouldn’t say I’m “fine” now but I’m much happier. Great things are happening and I firmly believe you can’t experience true happiness without acknowledging the bad, versus shoving it aside (in fact, if you’re interested, there are several articles citing the positivity movement as being… well… negative). Sometimes, you’ve gotta wallow in your crap if you ever hope to get out of it.
As a result of being happier, I’m back to being a ferociously obsessed knitter who updates her blog. Which means there’s a lot of catch-up coming my way.
One of my finished projects that’s been longing for its own blog post is the aforementioned Campside shawl by Alicia Plummer. The pattern isn’t new at all and had been sitting around in my Ravelry queue for ages. Toward the end of last February, and while I was going through all the emotions, I decided to throw myself into the fire and finally get it done.
Details
Pattern: Campside by Alicia Plummer
Yarn: Knit Picks Capra, Magnolia Heather
Click here to view the project on Ravelry
The pattern is written clearly and easy to follow. If you’re new to shawls and basic lace, this would be a good project to practice your increases and yarn-overs. For us pros, it’s fantastic potato chip knitting. I barely had to reference the pattern after awhile so it was perfect for working on in the background during work meetings (what - it helps me concentrate) or if I wanted to escape my life through garbage TV.
I also have to talk about how fantastic this yarn is. For years, I’ve had a love/hate relationship with Knit Picks. For example, I love Felici and have used it for more socks than I can shake my fists at, but I hate that it doesn’t hold up to wear and tear. In this case, however, Capra has been soft and durable. It was dreamy to knit with and blocked beautifully. You don’t get a lot of yarn in the ball and I think I ended up using six or seven for the shawl but it’s sold at a reasonable price point and is worth the investment.
I legit wear this thing all the time. The yarn used isn’t super warm but because Campside is so big, you won’t be cold. Which also makes it perfect for springtime or early fall wearing, as well, if and when you need an actual wrap.
So in case it’s not obvious, I’m back with a vengeance. I’m connecting with old friends in the industry and continue meeting new ones along the way. I’ve been knitting or crocheting almost every day for the past few months, completely the opposite of last winter when I hoped I’d just get zapped into outer space. I took a lot of people, including myself, on a wild and whacky ride for over a year so I hope everyone involved can forgive whatever the heck that was.
PS: I’ll be rebooting my Beer Knits podcast by recording my first show since 2017 next weekend. I’ve received so many encouraging messages from my Instagram followers since getting back into the swing of things and I’ve missed waffling about yarn for 20-30 minutes on a regular basis. Stay tuned!