Saturday, March 4, 2017

FO: Fiery Salsa Shawl

Here she is in all her glory.
The pattern is Fiery Salsa by Alina Appasova. It's a freebie, and the second of Alina's patterns I've done. (I made Indian Feathers several years back). Salsa is very similar to Feathers, working from the bottom up. And that's probably the hardest part of this pattern - the 400-some-odd cast on, and a lengthy set-up row.
Once the lace pattern is set, it gets much easier - though the long rows are a bit of a slog. Of course, as you near the end of the lace, you're decreasing, so the pace quickens. And once you're through the lace, it's just short-rows of stocknit. Compared to the lace, that absolutely flies.
To me, it's really more of a scarf than a shawl - coming in at  11 inches deep by about 60 inches wide. The top edge is suppose to have an i-cord bind off, but I couldn't be fussed with that so I just did a couple rows of garter and my usual stretchy bind off. It rolls a little, but that won't matter when its wrapped around a neck.
 The instructions say it can be beaded, but it doesn't really give you any advice on where or how (it also includes nupps, which I couldn't be bothered with this time around), so I took a look at what a few others had done and decided on the pattern you see here. I love adding beads, not only for the look, but they add a nice bit of weight to a shawl and affect the drape considerably.

The bead I chose is a matte gold, but foil-lined so it has a nice touch of sparkle.  I know some people prefer matching the beads to their yarn colour, but if I'm going to take the time to bead it - I want it to show! I think the gold contrasts nicely with the turquoise Alley Cat (which is a bit more greenish than the pictures show).

It used almost all a full skein, and knit in just five day it was a satisfying project. All and all, I'm extremely pleased with it. And so was my soon-to-be former colleague. I'd say that was a knit well knit!

10 comments:

The Well Fed Wheel said...

So pretty! Love the color, love the beads.....I don't think I've ever finished knitting anything in five days! I take that back...I knit a dishcloth in one...but never anything bigger than that. You amaze me!

Anonymous said...

Good Morning, I am in awe! This is so incredibly beautiful. I love the addition of the beads. Wishing you a nice Saturday.

Araignee said...

Gorgeous!! She is going to love it.

Bridget said...

Lovely! Especially the color - I'm always a sucker for blues.

Cat Lover said...

That is a gorgeous scarf/shawl! You talent continues to amaze me. Your colleague is a very lucky lady!

Delighted Hands said...

Stunning! I am amazed at the time frame you knit this-great job!

kathy b said...

Fantastic . Wow. Amazing. Beautiful. You placed the beads in just the right places. Love your photographing of it too!She's a lucky lady !

Anonymous said...

What an absolutely GORGEOUS gift! I love how the beads contrast with the yarn. That pattern went right into my queue.

Mereknits said...

Absolutely stunning. The color is gorgeous.

Vera said...

Oh my gosh, this is GORGEOUS! I love the gold beads with the turquoise. What a lucky recipient your friend is!! I still can't believe you knit this so fast.