The best part of starting any project really is the starting. I love the promise of casting on with a new yarn or colourway. Sometimes, and I am sure you will all agree, it can be the only good part of a project especially when it is large.
I am most definitely a victim of start “itis.” My enthusiasm is great but as the project continues on and on I have lost my enthusiasm for finishing. So, why not harvest that first energy and make the hardest part first?
I wanted to design a shawl that would be true to its purpose; warm and inviting as the cool breeze comes off the ocean or to ward off the chill of the evening. This meant the shawl would not be full of lacey holes but I still wanted feminine. Knitting by the Sea took each of those challenges to its maximum and I am thrilled with the end result. Yes you do need to cast on a whole whack of stitches to begin but well placed markers and initial patience ( while your enthusiasm for the project is at its best) mean that every row is one less stitch to knit on the next and you are rewarded with finishing with 3 stitches knit together at the very end.
Choose either the full version which hugs you to the core or challenge the shawlette for that extra bit of comfort and colour on your shoulders or around your neck. The pattern is not difficult and I know you will be well rewarded in the end.