Does linguistic precision matter? Probably not. I'm prepared to grant licence to any knitter to call their knitting whatever they want, even when based on one of my designs, but for my own knitting I like to distinguish between SCARVES, bits of knitting meant to keep the neck area warm, and SHAWLS, designed to cover the shoulders and often much more. A scarf can generally be worn under a jacket or coat. A shawl must, by reason of its size, be worn on its own or possibly even over a coat. As for SHAWLETTES, if I had my way they would disappear as a category. Neither fish nor fowl. It's unreasonable for me to dislike this word, but I do. There, I've said it.
These cantankerous thoughts arise just as I am launching into a reprise of Wheatsheaves, not as a scarf, but as a shawl. In other words, I'm blowing up this
to enlarge it into a full-scale warm shawl to wear around the house this winter. To accomplish this, I'm using this
along with a larger needle size. Not sure yet whether I'll need to work extra repeats. I'll play it by ear. That's the nice thing about shawls.
Rather warm here for December. Looking back at the blog for Dec 14, 2013 when it was minus 16C, I'd say we're lucky. Still able to walk outside without winter boots. No hat required this morning when I took this pic near the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts, down the street from our place.
The building, designed by Norwegian architects, is such a lovely combination of the old and new, and seems to fit into the landscape perfectly. The soft colours of the old limestone and the new weathered wood are beautiful in the pale winter light.
Christmas tree up today (earlier than usual) and I strung lights along the front porch rails. Trying to stay cheerful as the darkness of the solstice descends.
