SCARY. And also kind of awesome.
I love the color depth of this yarn, Fiber Optics Foot Notes in Sapphire Batik. It's very difficult to see in photographs or even at a distance, but the there are several different shades of blue used to lovely effect, mixed with the black. I almost wish I had a version without the black so I could enjoy just the variation in the blues. Because if its tight twist and possibly because if the heavy dye saturation it takes to get this color, it is a little firm, but the end result is very lovely.
Blocking was a bit of a challenge because I really liked the squishyness of the garter section and I didn't want to totally kill it, so I stretched it out enough to open the lace and then moved the wires for the top line of the shawl down as far as I could, to relax the garter a little bit without compromising the openness of the lace.
I especially loved the way the beads sort of wink out of the garter, and I felt like if I stretched the garter section out to be too open, the beads would look like beads and not like the little points of light I was hoping for.
I'm really, really in love with this project, but the beauty is really hard to capture. You can either see the beauty of the design...
...or the sparkle of the beads
...but capturing the full effect is nigh impossible, at least without a model and more patience than I possess.
I did get really bead-happy with this design. The beads are placed "randomly" throughout the garter stitch portion, and I littered the shawl with them. The beads are silver-lined transparent grey, and I'm so glad I went with those instead of a colored bead. They look exactly like the stars they are meant to evoke.
I'm not sorry. It's definitely got a very evening feel to it, and I can't wait to wear it out. I just need somewhere appropriately elegant. And, also, for the weather to cool off a bit. And I think I need to buy a little black dress to go under it. But, you know, once I get all that it will be perfect.
*This is one of my favorite song lyrics of all time, from a song that I'm otherwise indifferent to - Lonestar's "You're Like Coming Home."
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