My Lumberjack Shawl

I call this my Lumberjack Shawl because that's the name of the colorway and because it suits the personality of this shawl so well. Something I would know because I have a history with lumber jacks having come from a family of manly men who know something about felling trees and living off the land.

My dad grew up in Raymond, Washington a place described by Wikipedia as "a wild and wooly lumber mill  town" where the lumber industry was part of everyone's life.  My dad's family lived next door to a logging company; my grandfather worked as a lumberjack (for about a week); my dad's brother Keith spent his Summer working as a Whistle Punk (the person who signals when the logs are ready to be hauled); and I was almost killed by a logging truck when I was a child.  If you ask my dad to tell you about lumberjacks he'll be able to tell you everything you ever wanted to know, and then some.

Which is a long way of saying that I have an appreciation and understanding of what makes a lumberjack and to give context as to why I chose this yarn and how knitting is a very personal journey for me.  The yarn itself is also special because it was handspun by my very dear friend, Monika who writes the blog Smoking Hot Needles.  Monika is an incredibly talented fiber artist and besides spinning yarn she also writes patterns and you may recall that I knit her Kyla mittens a few years back which I still wear and enjoy most mornings.

When Monika spun this yarn she knew it would make a fabulous shawl so she divided the roving so that when the skeins were joined they would blend seamlessly into a continuous fabric.  Skillful and thoughtful she's a pro in every sense of the word.

Particulars:  Pamuya Shawl designed by Alexandra Wiedmayer who blogs as Karigan's Husky World; 698 yards(8 oz) Falkland wool; 2ply; colorway Lumber Jack; dyed by FatCatKnits and handspun by Monika Smoking Hot Needles (shop link).  I loved knitting this shawl as it's very easy to knit but still creates a complex looking fabric.  Mods:  I used US 5 needles as I used a slightly heavier weight yarn I also used more yarn than the pattern calls for.  The heart necklace I'm wearing was made by the very sweet Tracy of Pink Purl who has an etsy shop called Prana Light where she sells spiritual and inspirational items.  There is a better picture of this necklace in a post years ago called Romantic Beaded Scarf.

Until next time, be well and love well and I encourage you to think about where you came from and how you can make that history part of your life.  I'll leave you with a glimpse of my Dad as a young man who I admire more than I can say.