The Wood Nymph Shawl ~

As a child I was brought up on a steady diet of nursery rhymes and stories of magical creatures.  As a result I have had a life long love affair with all things fairy.  This shawlette is dainty enough to remind me of frilly mushrooms and clothing made from cobwebs and flowers and something a wood nymph might chose to wear.  Ethereal and fun.

Speaking of magical creatures, I'll share with you one of the nursery rhymes that my maternal grandmother used to recite to us well into her dotage, complete with acting out the various characters.  The Selfish Goblin (author unknown) as told by Mary Cunningham (1902-1982) who learned to recite this and many other rhymes as a child growing up under the care of a nanny in turn of the century England:

The Selfish Goblin

Upon the open moorland, the rain was falling fast,
and through the dripping heather a goblin hurried past.
His eyes were small and cunning, his hair was very red.
He had a green umbrella he held above his head.

He chanced to meet a fairy, whose clothes were very wet. 
As she had no umbrella he wished they hadn't met.

Oh please will you allow me, the little fairy cried, to share
your green umbrella by walking by your side.  I wandered from the pathway
as I was going home.  Oh dear, oh dear,
I'm frightened, don't leave me all alone.

Puff, nonsense, said the goblin.  Can you not plainly see,
that under my umbrella there's only room for me. Goodbye.
And off he went, his clothes completely dry.  And left that little fairy
to sit alone and cry.

But, as he crossed the moorland the wind with angry din,
caught hold of his umbrella, and turned it outside in.  Hooray! Exclaimed the
hedgehog.  I am extremely glad.  Now I know a clever way to make old
umbrellas new.  I wouldn't dream of telling it to you.

So he rolled the goblin over and then he hurried back, to help that little
fairy upon her homeward track.  And left that selfish goblin struggling
with labor vain to mend his green umbrella, which let in all the rain.

It's interesting how something like a nursery rhyme can become etched into one's subconscious.  In our family whenever anyone is being selfish they are referred to as being a greedy goblin.  Steve hears this on a daily basis but never changes his ways.

Particulars:  Crashing Waves by Grace Akhrem; 1 skein Tosh Merino Light (100% superwash merino wool); fingerling weight; colorway: Blue Gingham; US 6 circular needles; size small as modified by 3 extra repeats (189 stitches).  As a result of adding 3 extra repeats my bind off is not centered but that is fine with me as I generally prefer a more rounded shape at the point of a triangle shawl anyway. Merino wool does not hold a block very long and will substantially "relax" post blocking.  The pictures in this post are relaxed post-blocking; final measurements 44" x 18."

The MisAdventures of Simcha

It is the start of snake season here in Southern California and since we live in an area with lots of rattlesnakes we took Simcha to be rattlesnake trained. It involved exposing him to rattlesnakes both with and without their rattle so he leaned to avoid their sound and smell. The trainers used a shock collar and I know it made an impression.  Regardless, for safety reasons, Simcha's walks will be on-leash until the weather is cool again.  

I was touched afterward when a little girl came over and put out her hand to Simcha and he licked her fingers.  She asked me “does he rescue people?”  Considering how hard we worked to socialize him this made me feel very proud.  I smiled and told her I was sure he would.

Until next time, be well and love and well make yourself something ethereal and fun to wear!  There are lots of free shawl patterns to choose from including Bitterroot, Annis, Citron, and Springtime Bandit ~