Goldfinch in Targhee
I’m unusually proud of this shawl. Maybe because I didn’t play it safe in my color choices. The mix of these colors may be a no big deal to you guys, but for me to buy them online, in an indie-yarn, specifically for this shawl was a little leap. Or maybe it’s because I went with a 1000% targhee wool that I’ve never used before. Now I can say I have, and I really enjoyed it. Probably, it’s because Goldfinch is a an ever-changing, fun knit.
Before you can grow too accustomed to the stitch pattern you’re working on, it shifts into a different one. I always appreciate that. I loved working on it. In case you didn’t know, this shawl was designed by Andrea Mowry. But you already knew that. At the moment, there are about 90 other finished versions, in completely different color combos on Ravelry, if you’re interested.
It’s a big shawl, even bigger for me as I knit it a bit loose. I usually opt for smaller crescent shapes because it doesn’t get very cold here, but it’s nice to have a couple of really large ones for wearing around the firepitin the evenings or to double as a lap blanket. The shape is a bit askew and with all of the stitch patterns and striping color, it looks really cool wrapped around itself- layers and layers of stitch pattern.
Details: I knit this using size US 4 circulars and Gynx Yarns Targhee Dk base. I don’t think Laura is planning to carry this base anymore, but there was a little left in her shop at a discounted price. I think I mentioned the fact that it takes dye differently than her superwash bases, but it still produces deep, lovely tonals. I found Fog, Goth Girl, and an experimental dye lot in the right amounts in the shop and took a chance that they would look good together in person. (You can see how her Goth Girl dyes up in superwash here and here, because apparently I’m a fan of the colorway.)
The Targhee definitely had a different feel than superwash would. I know lots of knitters feel uncomfortable with non-superwash against their neck of head, but it doesn’t bother me. Whatever I trade on softness, I get back in longevity and body. This yarn had some bounce and body to it. It felt a bit more rustic and durable than my go-to 100% wool brands. It is going to last and last. Even things like my big dog jumping up to greet me and her rough paw pads catching in the fiber won’t disturb it’s beauty. She’s not supposed to do that, by the way.
I have to thank my husband for helping me get some photos during the most crazy, er… wonderful … time of the year. We had a few minutes to devote to this between church and other things. I said, “I don’t care where, just not the garage door and not in front of neighbors.” So we parked and trekked to an access area beside a drainage canal and railroad track. Romantic, no? He even thought up an interesting sock still life. I’m sure he’ll appreciate my mentioning that. Anything that makes socks interesting to me at this point in the BoxoSox knit-along works for me.
(more on ravelry, kollabora, instagram, and flickr)
As we went from project to project (I had FO build-up.), I thought of the hurried photo shoot Andrea described on her instagram, accompanying her beautiful Find Your Fade photos. Her description of racing down a trail to the right spot, just before the sun set with her husband made me laugh. If you knit and even sort of try to get photos of what you make, you feel her pain. Of course, her photos were truly wonderful. As for these, my husband is becoming a pro at deciphering my very unprofessional photo-speak: “flare up there” “a third over” “focus, then set it up”, etc. He avoided some of the usual photo foils, like roofing tiles (?) that someone, somehow, dumped out there and gas lines criss-crossing everywhere. We didn’t even run into any alligators, so success!
My other post on this shawl is here.
