Pattern: My own Yarn: Habu Textiles Gima Cotton (lt.blue) 265 yds & KnitPicks discontinued Totem (50% Modal/50% Wool) color: Northwest Cloud (off-white) 164 yds Needles: #9 US Size: 19 inches wide by 54 inches long
I debated whether to blog about this wrap. I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I mean, I like it but I don't know how to wear it. It's got maybe an artsy look to it, almost architectural. On the right person it could work. I'm just a t-shirt and jeans kinda girl so I struggle with what and how I'll wear it. Honestly, I think it would be great as a curtain or valance on my dining window but its not long enough in this form. And I'm seriously considering pushing that option. But I'll keep this one. Mostly because while I knitted it I thought about a dear friend of mine who died several years ago. I named the wrap after her.
My friend, D.R., lived a tragic life. One that I can't imagine living through for as long as she did. She had mental and physical scars from her childhood. But she was so caring to those she chose to have as friends. She chose me. She sat down beside me during lunch one day at the school we were attending at the time and just started a conversation. Our friendship developed from there and continued for about 12 more years until her death. It seems funny to name a wrap after her since there was no way on earth she would have ever worn one. She was a tough cookie and shunned most things feminine. When she was in the hospital during her last few days, she still managed a slight laugh when I joked about putting pink lipstick on her. She hated her middle name since it sounded too girlie. In fact I'm not sure if her middle name was Rosella or Rosellen since I didn't dare ask her to mention it to me again, after that one and only time she spoke it to me.
She loved going to the beach which she did a handful of times within the last 5 years of her life. The colors of the wrap are reminiscent of water and white sand so that made me think even more about her. I don't know how she'd feel about me naming this after her but I think she'd be having a good laugh at the irony of it all.
I haven't written up a pattern for this but if anyone is interested, please let me know and I'll get one done up. The only techniques required are: knitting, purling, K2tog, knitting in the front and back of a stitch & easy intarsia. The off-white borders are in seed stitch and the sheer blue parts are plain stockinette (see closeup below).
I used only 2 skeins of the Gima cotton and 2 skeins of the Totem for this wrap. If I do make up a valance for the dining room, I think I'll use KnitPicks Shine Worsted as the borders next time. The borders need to be slightly drapey with enough weight to keep the meshy part framed and in shape. I'm not sure what I'd substitute, if I had to, for the Gima cotton so I'll be on the lookout for something if it comes to that. I got this Gima from kpixie and they have some nice colors but maybe not what I'd want for the valance. The Habu website shows their whole range and they have an orange! Be still my beating heart!
~Inner monologue: It would freak people out if they knew I'd actually make and hang a valance made in orange so I'd better not mention it!~
