Silk Purse

Last chapter of the shawl story

I said it was finished.  I said I was finished.  The lure of the "silk" purse hauled me back.  Blame it on a shipment of knitting books that arrived literally minutes after I finished Auntie's shawl.  One author described the luxury knits with inside seams covered by ribbon or lace.  I'm a sucker for exquisite details.  Who isn't?

Nice clean finish/ending

Mixed in with all the other Things I get to do today is buy seven yards of matching or contrasting ribbon and hand-sew it over the four seams, inside the neck, down the inside fronts and around the inside of the hem of Auntie's shawl.  The amazing angel at the fabric store directed me from the wall of stiff, inappropriate ribbons to the elastic section.  Waiting for me there by Divine Miracle was the perfect match in width, color and sheen--a shiny, stretchy sort of ribbon.  And obviously, elastic will give and move with a knit garment.  As I fold the shawl into a box with white tissue, I finally feel really good about this garment.  I know it's not a purse but I came pretty close to making a silk one out of a sow's ear.