Swatch It

A couple of Rhinebecks ago I picked up the pattern for Catkin. I had seen this shawl at many a festival. It was alway so striking to me. The perfect shape and with buttons to keep it in place. 

I safely tucked the pattern away for "one day". You know how it goes, one day when I have more time, one day when I want to be challenged...one day after a huge move?

Yep, I took myself off to one of the local yarn stores to get some air conditioning back in July. They even had to wind up the yarn since my swift was not accessible. I searched and searched for the right color combination, and settled on the Civil War...the blue and the grey. 

The yarn is from a dyer across the river from us in Vancouver Washington, Alpha B Yarn. I had seen her wares on Ravelry and am so happy to say I now have easy access to them. I just could not resist picking them. I did wrestle with the colors and changed my mind several times... only partial due to the ability to stay in the air conditioning for a while longer.

Finally, I decided Crater Lake and Strong Gale suited my tastes for the best. I read through the pattern and thought, maybe I should have done that before buying it. Hold on, the designer starts you off with a lovely swatch, I can knit a swatch!

As I ripped back my first attempt, I convinced myself that, no really I can knit a swatch properly.

I then did indeed sort out my brain and knit a proper swatch. Lovely isn't it?

I was so overwhelmed with my ability to knit correctly that I promptly abandoned my swatch for some socks. Turns out it was a lot of socks that needed to be knit before I could think of knitting a shawl. There are still quite a few on the needles getting my attention. 

Do you think I can wash the swatch and measure it still on the needles? I hate to waste yarn on swatches. But then again it would make a lovely coaster. One of a kind you could say. Just let me find my tape measure before I put this away. On second thought, it would be really nice to have another shawl, one that stays put hopefully...

So many projects to work on...I am a lucky knitter!