Knitting with Handspun

I've finally done it! I'm knitting with my handspun :) Ever since I started spinning a few years ago, my finished skeins would be my pets. I would squeeze them, pet them, and put them on display for all to see before they were moved into the shelves along with my other stash. They've seemed too special to pick up and knit just anything so they've been waiting for that perfect special project.

Then I was encouraged to just take the leap and cast-on. What better skein to start with than the one I just finished. This is the 60/40 wool/flax blend from Spunky Eclectic in the "Whiner" colorway. I spun it up as a two-ply and ended up with approximately 250 yards of sport weight goodness from 4 oz. of fiber. I really like the heathered look that came from the way the wool took the dye compared to the flax.

I chose the shawlette pattern "Vermillion" because the linen should give the finished object a nice drape. It is a triangular shawl that starts with plain stockinette and then transitions to a lace edge. The lace pattern should help the yarn go a bit further since I don't have a ton of yardage. The pattern calls for three repeats of the lace pattern before binding off, and I plan to weigh my skein at the end of each repeat to see how far I can really go.

As of tonight I'm halfway through the second repeat. I have to admit that the rows are getting noticeably longer and longer. Even though it seems like I'm close to the end, I have a sneaking suspicion it will take me longer than I think to finish.