The Wedding Shawl: Getting Started

My sister is getting married! At her request, I’m knitting her a wedding shawl. While I’m not abandoning my Hopsmere Cardigan project, I am going to have to set it aside for a bit. The wedding is going to be in June, so I’m going to switch projects for a bit.

Choosing the Perfect Wedding Shawl

My sister had a vague idea of what she wanted. It had to match her dress. Because it’s a summer wedding, it couldn’t be too heavy, but should keep out the chill once the sun goes down. More accurately, this will be her reception shawl after the ceremony is over. Her plan is to take off the veil after the ceremony because it’s been in our family for almost 150 years and she doesn’t want anyone to spill wine on it.

There was a pattern I thought of immediately. This actually isn’t the first time someone has asked me to knit a shawl for their wedding. The last time, I used a pattern called Easy as Pie by Marisa Hernandez. I showed my sister a few photographs and she immediately fell in love.

I wanted to choose a yarn that would be warm but breathable. She wanted a shawl she could wear again. Coziness was a priority, as was keeping it a low-maintenance garment. I ended up deciding on Comfy Fingering, which is 75% pima cotton and 25% acrylic. When it’s ready, she’ll even be able to clean it in the washing machine and it already feels wonderful as it’s working up.

Now On Needles

Because I’ve been working on the Hopsmere Cardigan project for so long, it’s been a while since I’ve had an opportunity to change needles. That means, this is the first change I’ve gotten to try out the new needle set that I was given for Christmas. I got the interchangeable options set of Caspian Wood Needles. I’d had my eye on them for a while because they’re so pretty and I’d never tried interchangeable needles.

I’m fully in love with them. They’re astoundingly sharp and smooth for wooden needles, and even more gorgeous in person as they catch the light. I am so, so happy with them. Before trying them out for myself, I was worried that there might be an annoying catching point where the needles attach to the cord. That hasn’t been the case at all. I may end up never using anything else unless I need a broomstick needle.

Celebrating the Tradition

I always enjoy being able to knit or crochet a project for a person I care about, but this one is extra special. My sister is my best friend. We of course bickered as kids, but as we got older the age gap felt smaller and we realized how alike we were and how much fun we have together. Her husband-to-be is a very sweet man who has been treating her right for a decade already. They have been building a lovely life together, and I’m excited to see what they’ll do next.

I’m thrilled to be able to make this contribution to such a momentous day. Beyond that, it feels very fulfilling to take part in such an age-old tradition. For millennia, women have handcrafted garments for their sisters to wear on their day of matrimony. One of the aspects of fiber arts that I find so captivating is the history of it. The skill stretches back more than a thousand years.

I get to be a part of it.