Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Thoughts on Shawl-Wearing


There is nothing new to show you all, so I want to share some musings on shawls. The yellow mohair one in the picture was made so long ago I don't remember exactly when. It was sometime after I moved to Tallahassee (1980) and started my current job (1990). I keep it at my office for those days when the air conditioning is way low. I keep a lighter woven stole for the sorta cold days. Recently I was working on a project that required long hours in an extremely cold conference room and wore both shawl and stole, held in place with a large brooch. I felt like a character from a Dickens novel, or one of those museum models that show how the Vikings lived. It made me appreciate fitted garments, and glad to have shawls and stoles as options, not necessities.
Shawl/stole wearing seems to require a certain finesse to avoid the extremes of Drama Queen and Jemima Puddleduck. I have read other knitters' comments about the potential frumpiness of shawls, but how about the affectation of stole-wearing?
I would love to read anyone's thoughts on this issue, especially since I keep making shawls and stoles, but have trouble wearing them.
BTW, I'll be out of town for a few weeks and may have limited blogging opportunities, but I'll be back with pictures after July 22.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love your comments on shawl wearing - I am about to embark (sometime this year) on a simple wrap, but keep putting it off. I am usually fearless about patternwork, lacework etc etc but shawls, hmmm I think it is because I am short and could quite look like Jemima P, although I could be original and just look like I am unravelling. I guess it takes practice and maybe someone to carry all the usual stuff that gets in the way of being glamorous...

Cathy said...

I promise to get a posting up within the next day or two!

Anonymous said...

If there is one thing about shawl knitting that puts me off a bit it is that I don't find shawls as versatile as sweaters. I've knit four (three for me, one for a present), and I wear one (a Myrna Stahman shawl) when I go out. I always feel as if I'm fussing a bit with the shawl and my handbag. I've switched to some shorter shawls (big scarves really) that I can wear over light weight jackets.

I just love the shawl knitting, but I've been mulling how I can use some of the lace motifs in a sweater so I can get more use out of the FO.

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