Interweave Knits 2021 Knit Along

This is in black and white because some lady told me I could see if my colors contrasted enough, I don’t know how to edit it back cause I’m a moron.

Today I did something that I said I wasn’t going to do.  I wasn’t going to start a new knitting project.  I was supposed to finish my car coat.  Well, it’s Interweave’s fault!  This morning, bright and early, while Ana was doing her school work at the desk, I checked my email.  Usually emails from Interweave are about subscribing to their very expensive magazine, which I used to, you know, back when I was working full time and so was Shadow and our yearly income actually put us a decent amount above the poverty line for once in our lives.  However, this email was different, this email stated that their yearly knit along or KAL was beginning today.

Now, generally speaking a knitter would like to have adequate time to prepare for such an endeavor.  Getting the proper yarn and needles and other supplies together, casting on a gauge swatch, measuring, adjusting if need be, reading and re reading through the pattern to make sure they understand everything and there are no surprises like short rows or binding off and then casting on stitches again, stuff like that.

I had no time for that.

Also, I don’t do any of that, because I am Spiral, and that’s how I roll.

Now, the real reason I decided to join this particular KAL are several. First of all, the pattern, called Agatha Shawl is really pretty.  It’s a piece of mosaic knitting which I haven’t done in a while, so why not?  Secondly, I somehow wound up with quite a few skeins of Hawthorne fingering yarn, which is Knit Picks best yarn in my opinion, that go very well together but aren’t enough for a bigger project because it’s only one ball of a single color.  Lastly, my New Years goal was to use the yarn I have, and well this was it!  This was the project that I could actually use for some odd skeins of yarn I have.  Honestly it was perfect.  I could add a fourth reason as well, which is that I got to download this pattern for free without paying for the magazine it was originally published in, OR paying the designer directly 4 bucks on Ravelry for it.

I’m a fucking cheap skate, if I can get something for free, I’m gonna take it!

Here is my yarn in actual technicolor:

It’s from Knit Picks’ Halloween sock labs collection which was limited edition and I got half off after Halloween.  Spiral pays full price for nothing!

Here is my yarn all wound up into cakes:

I am so thankful I own a swift and ball winder, they make my hobby so much easier.

The knit along takes the entire month of March and it’s go at your own pace.  Today was people sharing their color and yarn choices, with a few folks who had already finished the first chart of the pattern.  I found out some of them had started a couple of weeks ago when it was initially announced.

Anyway, I’m just a sucker for things like this.  The last time I did a KAL was in person at the now defunct Lion Brand Yarn Studio.  I made a periwinkle color sweater which I loved, but it washed horribly despite being acrylic and never bounced back in size.  I ripped it up and I think my mom took the yarn to make something else with.  That was the worst experience I have ever had with Vanna’s Choice.  I actually have a dark blue sweater in Vanna that I made right after the periwinkle one, and I wear it all the time and it still looks awesome, despite some pilling, which I really should tackle one day with a dull razor.

So, this will be fun, I’ll knock out some yarn from my stash, I’ll get to chat with some cool peeps about knitting the same thing I am and who knows I might actually learn a thing or two!  Also, I’ll have one bad ass shawl to wear for the month of Samhain/Halloween.

☺️