Knitting in progress: snowdrop shawl

Nearly two years ago, in a cottage with an open fire and many open bottles of wine, I sat gossiping with three old friends while putting the finishing touches to the lace shawls I knitted for my bridesmaids.

It was a fabulous weekend - much gossip, booze, and I learnt to play backgammon. I also learnt that although I am capable of knitting lace when drunk, I must not attempt to fix mistakes in lace when drunk - a truly terrifying patch of unravelling yarn ensued at my first attempt, which I managed to put back together with steady nerves and a strong cup of tea the next morning.

Although none of the wonderful women present were my bridesmaids, for reasons of geography, and the impossibility of picking one and not all three, I realised that I wanted to make them shawls too, to celebrate their fabulousness.

Two decided they did want lace shawls. One decided that she'd never wear one and would rather have gauntlets. All three picked out their colours. I bought the yarn for the shawls while on honeymoon in Florence.

The gauntlets were made quickly, and then progress slowed. I stopped to make my Dad three pairs of socks for his sixtieth birthday - a process that took a while.

I then started work on the first shawl, picking the colour I'd never knitted with before -  a deep, dark blue. This was the result, finished a year after the wedding.

Then my mother's sixtieth started to approach. I promised her two shawls, got knitting, and these were the results - shawl one, in a fiery red/orange, and shawl two, in a thicker yarn, with grey and charcoal.

I got them finished on time - just. But then, after a lot of knitting for deadlines, I got fed up of big projects that would take a long time with deadlines attached, and started on small things, bootees, baby hats, tea cozies - oh, and one more deadline project, an enormous baby blanket.

Finally, as spring started, I was back in the mood for lace, for delicate yarn, and for taking time knitting something perfect for a friend.

So I cast on this about a month ago. It's The Yarn Harlot's Snowdrop Shawl in a deep red, a shade that always reminds me of the friend it's for.

The pattern is fun and quite simple and easy to memorise, and it's going quite fast.

I'm nearly there now - one pattern repeat from the end, although I know I'll want to do the knitted on edging which may take a while. All in all, I'm hopefully that it'll be finished, blocked and posted off (or better, given by hand) to the recipient by the second wedding anniversary, this June.

The recipient knows who she is, and knows full well it's coming (or she does now - I have a nasty feeling she thought I'd forgotten until I couldn't resist showing it to her in a pub last time we met).

So no harm in a sneak preview - although I can't wait until it's blocked, and you can see the pattern properly.