Leaf Evolution Shawl: Knitted by Helen, supervised by Archie

A few months ago, I saw this on Helen's blog, Archie the Wonderdog and I was smitten.  A conversation or two lead to a suggestions and a plan was hatched. This is the result:

A Leaf Evolutlion shawl knitted by Helen for me.  I used to be a very keen knitter.  I learnt to knit as a young child and by the time I was a teenager in the 1980s and knitting was going through a boom period, I earned pocket money knitting up fairisle/Navaajo patterned cardigans in mohair.  I couldn't wear mohair but I was obsessed by the vibrant colours that it came in.  I knitted throughout my teens.  It waned when I left home for uni into occasional jumpers but was rekindled by the birth of my daughter when I knitted her many cardigans, jumpers and toys inspired by Debbie Bliss , Ros Badger and Rowan yarns.

By the time my daughter was four a combination of many factors had lead to repetitive strain injury which took a long time to recover from and still gives me problems.  I am pretty much recovered but I have limitations and one of these is I can no longer knit, it aggravates my wrists so quickly that I know not to got there.  All over Instagram there is the temptation of beautiful patterns, yarn and inspiration a-plenty and I look on as a spectator.  And so Helen offered, we chatted to work out practicalities and I was incredibly grateful.  The yarn, Manos Lace, was a lucky ebay bargain. The skein is long and the mix of fibres is soft enough not to irritate my skin or Helen's.  There was no time scale or deadline for finishing and to be honest I was thinking about it.

And then a sudden surprise in the post last Wednesday, half an hour before I was due to leave for work.   I could not believe it!  I quickly dragged my husband outside (working from home day) and asked him for some quick snaps in the sun.  And you can see Helen's fine handiwork- not only the beautiful knitting but the meticulous blocking which defines each curve and point along the edge.  I was absolutely over the moon.  It is the most beautiful lace pattern, designed by Tetiana Otruta designs and originally ran as a mystery knit-along.

Archie has been convalescing through some nasty aches and pains so Helen has been secretly knitting away whilst sitting with him and as a result, I have a beautiful shawl, swiftly knitted and ready for the cold weather this year- I feel so happy and incredibly privileged that she knitted this, it's a treasure and so is she.   And Archie is on the mend, gently does it Archie x