I have such a backlog of finished projects from over the past couple of months that have yet to make it up on the blog. So since I’ve been in such a mood to spin yarn, I figured I’d start catching up by talking about a Christmas present I made for my best friend and soon-to-be-roommate.

In September last year, I spun up this yarn, as hinted at here. It was my first time spinning Blue-Faced Leicester, and it definitely was a very pleasurable spin, only taking 3 days to make the singles and 2-ply. I always love to see how different the spun up yarn looks compared to the fiber. In this case, it ended up brightening up the colors a bit.

I knew that I would be knitting a shawl with this yarn, something with an Estonian pattern to it. I had several in mind, but ended up choosing the Echo Flower shawl, mainly because of the blossom stitch (makes up the main body of the shawl), which I love. It’s the same stitch that can be found in the Laminaria pattern, which was the first shawl I ever made and still to this day my favorite shawl. My bestie always compliments me on that shawl, so I knew I had to make hers with the same stitch.

I used up every last yard for this shawl. I left the nupps out of the border pattern (I dislike nupps, and besides they are yardage pigs [aka use up a lot of yarn]). I was a bit worried as to how the colors would do with this stitch pattern, but I was pleased with how the fractal spinning helped create a nice graduated color effect. And I love how the edging border came out at the end of the triangle! Love that contrast of tight blossom stitches and more openwork lace.

If it wasn’t for the fact that I started this project with my best friend in mind, and that she is indeed my best friend, I would NOT have been able to give this beauty away. The softness, the slight sheen of the yarn, the shawl pattern, everything came out better than I had even imagined.

Up until yesterday, Peacock had been my best spun yarn. More to come on what yarn I now consider my best ever!

PS>We move into our new apartment tomorrow!!!