A Knitting Project

Being an admirer of all the fine Jane Austen films, the dresses are so fascinating to me. They bring out the grace and loveliness of the wearers in a way that our shorter styles just don't.

Now, if you have watched very many of these films, you have noticed the lovely shawls that are worn. Don't you suppose those houses in the 1700 and 1800's were pretty chilly?
The shawl above is one I knitted, inspired by Jane Austen's film characters.

I taught myself to knit when I was in high school. One summer day, my Mom took me into town to the "Dime Store", where I enjoyed looking at all the knitting things. I bought a little instruction book (which I still have), some yarn and needles, and went home that day to learn to knit. My first finished project was a pair of lavender mittens.

I used a pair of size 2 (2.75mm) knitting needles. The pattern is knit one row, pearl one row, etc.
I haven't done much knitting over the years, but my dear Mother-in-law has always inspired me to pick up the needles again. She, Mrs. Bertha Castlebury of Illinois, has always had some crochet project in hand. She has done most all kinds of needlework at some time: tatting, crochet, knitting, embroidery. Bless her heart; how she despaired of ever teaching me to tat or crochet!

The number of stitches across was probably in the neighborhood of 80 or 90. The yarn was by "Red Heart" 100% cotton ~ it was real fine and lustrous.

When it was all finished (it took nine months), I crocheted a simple little edge all the way around. Well ~ almost all the way around. I ran out of yarn three inches from the end!