Anyone else feel like they’ve been hibernating? I feel like I’ve been hibernating. It’s been unusually cold and snowy in Baltimore so there’s been lots of staying around the house, keeping warm, snuggling the Molly-dog, and knitting things.  And enjoying these locally made Mouth Party Sea Salt caramels; I can’t forget to mention the caramels. I feel like I need to tell everyone about these, the most amazing of caramels (so delicious).

While I’ve been hanging around the house knitting, I did complete my Saturated Shawl, a pattern by Ann Weaver (pattern page on Ravelry). With a 90″ wingspan, it was a lot of stitches, but the rhythm of just knitting and purling, back and forth is meditative. This was a truly relaxing knit. And the simple pattern creates a gorgeous finished shawl.

The yarn is Cephalopod Yarns Skinny Bugga. I bought a pound bag at their open house held in their space in southwest Baltimore last summer and it was perfect for this project (I have another four skeins that I’m even more excited to do something with, having finished this project). The pattern calls for larger needles so the finished shawl is springy and wrap-able. And when you’re running 1200 yards of yarn through your fingers you want it to be something that feels good to work with; this yarn is a blend of soft superwash merino with a bit of  cashmere and nylon in it and meets that criteria without question.

This project did take a while because I worked on it on and off over the course of several months, but it was a pattern that I could pick up and work on when I wanted to relax and to just focus on knitting. Yesterday, CNN posted a story about knitting (and other crafting) and how that activity effect your brain (link to “This is your brain on knitting”). In part, it talked about how knitting can be meditative and stress relieving. I find that to be so true. When I’m working on a project like this shawl pattern, I find myself focusing on it and being able to walk away from a knitting session feeling relaxed and focused.

Anyway, I’m thrilled to share the finished Saturated Shawl. And since it’s still in the 30’s F in Baltimore, it’s still needed.