Ok, I’m beaming. Big time. :)
I was just trying to use up a stash of acrylics and it turned itself into this magnificent shawl!
(And maybe I’ll get the threads pulled through in time for Valentine’s Day!)

It is not without flaws -- the big one is the crappy Russian join in the main body on the right side of the right half. At the time, I’d pretty much written off the project after countless froggings (colors didn’t work, didn’t like the stripes, etc. -- I have a terrible eye for putting colors together) so I wasn’t conscientious at all with it. I’ve already tinkered with it for an hour and I think I have the strands straightened out, but not the tension.

Anyway, this will serve as inspiration for future projects -- I SO want to learn how to put colors and textures together in a visually pleasing way! I’m still working up the courage to try a Jane Thornley type project, but I’m a lot closer now. :)

History:

1/11/2014 - Had to rip because when I got to see colors under different lighting, they clashed. Horribly. Must wait till we have some sunshine again.

1/27 - Reached the end of the main body color (Aurora Pink). Knit in garter 4 rows in black, two in Smokescreen gray, then began Three and One Check pattern from Barbara Walker’s A Treasury of Knitting Patterns (Vol.1) using gray and Light Fuchsia. I have a lot of fuchsia, not much gray, so we’ll see how it goes….

1/28 - I really like the colorwork! However, I’m not sure now how to finish it off. I want to make another black band, but after that…. Initially I had wanted to make a pleated ruffle out of the finer (dk) darker maroon, but I’m pretty sure I won’t have enough. I’ll go through Epstein’s “Knitting on the Edge” book and see if something looks fitting. :)

I decided on using the ruffle pattern from the Milk Run Shawl (which is the same as the Reversed Bold Bell Ruffle from Epstein’s book, p. 65).

The fact that the border yarn was thinner (DK, probably) worked out favorably not only because I had more yardage than I thought, but also it made the pleats less bulky. I hope I remember than the next time I make a border -- if I can, use a lighter weight yarn for it.