This is the one I started and then gave up on more than once. It seemed to never grow, it was always the same size even after I'd spent a couple of hours on it, I kept adding rows but it never looked like it. At one point, I was ready to call it done and then donate it.
Part of the problem is that I started it with one hook, which is larger than my preferred hook. One time when I started back to work on it, after I'd done several rows I discovered that I'd gone back to the smaller hook. It's not enough to really show, I know the difference because I know where to look. But even an experienced crochet artist would probably not be able to see it, it's that small. It's just that I know what I did and where I did it. I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist, and crochet usually is not a problem for me.
Anyway, I finally finished it. Although it's not as long as I originally thought it would be. I just liked the length I got it to, so I put the final ruffle row on and called it good.
This is the 2nd Double Hug shawl I've made. The first one was green and was a gift for my sister from another mother, Virginia. This one is a smaller gauge yarn, or smaller size in other words. Double Hug refers to the fact that the first part is a granny square which is then folded in half, or doubled. It's supposed to be warmer at the neck and it probably is. I haven't actually worn it anywhere yet, it hasn't been really cold enough. It's probably going to be worn to church mainly, it gets cold in there and being a redhead I am naturaly more susceptible to getting cold. (See my main blog for details on the Redhead Curse.)
The top edge is not straight, which is part of the pattern to an extent but I also made it that way on purpose.
This shows how long it is. The original pattern was for much longer, but I made it this size because that's the size I like. If it were for something "formal" then it would probably have been made longer. While it might not look very long, keep in mind that I am tall, 5' 9" to be precise. I probably should have pulled my hair out of the way!
A close up. It's a foundation chain start, which is standard for just about every item that is crocheted. Then it is made from a granny square base piece, and consists of double stitch and chain stitch. The double stitches are in groups of three with two chain stitches between each set. The original pattern called for one chain stitch between groups, but I wanted the extra "curve" on the end so I used two chain stitches between sets of double stitches which made it slightly wider and not as straight edged.
The way I made it with the extra chains between the groups makes it easier to flap one end over the other. I prefer not to use shawl chains - as in jewelry-type chain, not chain stitches, to keep the sides together. But that's just me, the shawl I made for Virginia was made slightly closer to the original pattern, it does have the less than straight effect but not as much as this one does. But part of that is because this yarn is very silky and slippery. It is acrylic yarn, but it doesn't look or feel like it as it's very silky. It's by Caron, which makes very good yarn. I think that the green shawl I made was also Caron yarn, but yarn is not "one size fits all." There are as many different colors, gauges and textures as there are stars in the sky. Or at least it seems like it!
I'm glad to be finished with it! Photography credit: Otter.
