Not really converted

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Last night I was showing off the Peacock Feathers shawl to Ken, and I was holding it up and spreading it out and doing all of those things that you do when you’re knitting lace to try and convince other people that it is actually going to be really cool once you’re finished and it’s blocked, and I held it up along the line down the centre of it… stretching it out along that line, and Ken asked how much more I had to go.

“Well” I said, “there are 250 rows total, plus a crochet chain cast off, and I’m on row….(here I checked the chart and heaved a sigh that I hope conveyed how much more there is to go) row 171” and as I said that, I realized something. I was holding out that centre line a really good distance. Like… maybe 70cm, which is a pretty good distance for a shawl, except that I had half as much length again to knit – which would have this shawl coming in at a whopping 100cm, (that’s a metre) or maybe even more, since a gentle stretch between my hands isn’t the same as a proper blocking.

A shawl more than a metre long? For reference, I’m only about 150cm tall, and a good 25cm (at least) of that is my head and neck (over which I do not traditionally place a shawl) … so this shawl is going to be really big on me. Super big. When something is turning out bigger than I thought it would, my first thought always turns to my old enemy… Gauge. (I capitalize it here to show it the respect it deserves.) I have a tendency to knit a little loosely, so I checked my Gauge. (I do not want to hear a word from anyone suggesting that I might have considered checking it before I started knitting. Knitters in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.) Gauge was fine. Gauge was perfect actually. Spot on. I was totally stumped. Why on earth was it coming out so big?

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I don’t want to talk about how long was before it occurred to me that maybe this was the intended size, and I should check the measurements on the pattern (which I was sure I had done – but I didn’t remember reading that this was a big shawl…so maybe I didn’t.) I fetched the pattern from the living room, brought it into the kitchen and was about to read out to Ken that the shawl wasn’t really that big- that it was 88″ from tip to tip along the top, and 43″ down that centre line… when I realized what had gone wrong.

I have no idea how big that is. I had read 88″ and thought… well. I don’t know what I thought. I guess I didn’t think. I read the measurements aloud to Ken and he gave me the same glazed look. We opened conversion software on my laptop, and entered 43 inches, and pushed the button to convert it to centimetres. 110cm. This shawl was only 40cm (15″) shorter than my height. We punched in 88 inches to find out the wingspan, and I exhaled in whoosh. 223 cm. (Almost 7 and a half feet.) 223 cm. How about that. The imperial measurements (which turn out to be really accurate) didn’t even register on my brain as information.

Turns out I’m knitting a big shawl. A shawl that after blocking, may drag on the ground like a train behind me. Now I know why it’s taking so long. Maybe it’s not a shawl. Maybe it’s…. A car cover, or a para-sail. Yeah. Maybe I’m knitting a shawl for the pick-up truck.

Arrgh. Maybe I could felt it.

275 thoughts on “Not really converted”

  4. Marina’s comment is a great idea. Or you could wrap yourself up like a mummy. Or maybe it’s a “shawl for two” like those large umbrellas.

  6. It will be so pretty, so what if it’s a HUGE amount of pretty. I’m planning to make one, but I’m nearly 6′ tall.

  7. Sorry to hear you’ll be dragging your shawl…
    On the other hand, I now know what project to try soon – at 6’1 finding a shawl big enough for me wrap around me is a pain.
    Thanks!

  8. Curses to the difference between inches and Centimeters!!! You’re right… that is a BIG shawl! Maybe you can fold it in half…?

  9. felt it? lol. i thought that shawl was too big. i tried to knit it and i got crosseyed around chart 2 or 3. i get baffled when 60″ looks huge and i’m like 5’7″.
    maybe it’s a garage cozy?

  10. Or maybe you are knitting a shawl for your very dear (and very tall) friend Juno 😉
    I knit that shawl in fingering weight instead of whatever it called for and it is even bigger (because not only did I not check my guage, I didn’t care about my gauge as long as the fabric was right). It is a huge shawl. I love it but it is big.

  12. would it be a bad knitterly thing if you were to just… stop? cast off, and consider it done? or perhaps that would haunt you later… 🙂

  13. Oh… wow… that’s… wow…
    I’m only 5′ tall… i’m thinking that is about 150cm tall… and, well… the “wingspan” sounds like double my height! Wow… I could wrap myself my 2 kids and my 2 cats and STILL have room leftover!

  14. You were in London last week and stood outside Buck House so you could use this shawls as a train to float dreamily behind you as you glide around very regally.
    Or you could lie under it on the sofa!

  16. that is big.
    Why not just figure out how long you do want it and stop there?
    Figure out how to do the crochet chain bind off right then and end it when it’s the right size for you?

  18. I dunno. Throw a party, demand everyone come in wedding regalia and use your shawl as a knitted train?
    Better question is, you’ve probably seen photos of knit up versions. Didn’t they seem huge to you?

  19. I guess I don’t understand why you can’t compress the pattern and make it a more reasonable size. Couldn’t you take out some of the center repeats, or is that like mucho terrible-o? Looks pretty none-the-less.

  20. Well, if you are ever in a building in a 2+ story building, and the building catches on fire, and the only escape is through the window and onto the hard ground, you can use this shawl as a parachute. I think that’s pretty practical. “The Yarn Harlot’s Peacock Parachute Shawl”

  22. Forgot to add (while snorking/giggling at Husband with a Cammo Truck cozy) wearing it with really Hi heels sounds like fun.
    Or maybe wear it like a Sari?

  23. yep, every single finished one I’ve seen is huge. Anna’s Flying Needles’ shawl is huge on her but in a wonderful way: http://annasflyingneedles.com/2008/05/18/peacock-feathers.aspx
    Eunny Jang tried to make hers smaller by knitting it in very fine 2-ply on 2.5 mm needles and it still came out huge (it is on her old blog). Just enjoy the glory of wrapping up in something big enough for two of you, or drape it artistically over your bed or a curtain rod.

  24. Don’t worry Steph, I had the same trouble when the wife and I made a trip into New Brunswick (from Maine) and had to use the little numbers on the speedometer 🙂

  25. How do you measure gauge on lace anyway???
    I have found with lace when I spread it out, I can make be whatever gauge I want.
    After carefully knitting a swatch on three different needle sizes, washing and blocking, I chose what appeared to be the right needle size and proceeded to knit a ‘full-size swatch’, i.e. after I had knit up about eight inches (20+ cm) of the sweater back, I got suspicious that it was too big. Measured it, sure enough, too big, and the thing is already called “Oversize Lace Top”, so I really couldn’t talk myself into it. I’ve started over on a smaller needle and continue to ponder what to do about lying swatches.
    Sounds like you just need to add that crochet border and be done.

  26. I’m knitting this shaw too and am short. Hadn’t thought at all about the size, but now I will. I remember seeing some comments on Ravelry that the shawl was a large one. Thanks for letting me plan ahead. I haven’t knit much yet. I go along with the suggestion that you think about how to make it shorter. Reduce the repeats? That is supposed to be the beauty of knitting from the top down.

  27. “These are large, but they drape beautifully on everyone.” From Kaffe Fassett, re his Carpet Coat, I think it was–anyway, that was the one I knit. When I got done, my 6’8″ husband said, “It fits me better than you, go make yourself another one.” I too had made gauge, and it about skimmed my ankles.
    I bet you get a whole lot of comments from tall hopeful people.

  28. Um, how about sending it to the tallest woman in the world? She lives in China, maybe she’d appreciate it. Or how about that wicked tall Olympic volleyball player who had the tape on her shoulder? She’s really skinny, probably gets cold. Then there’s the WNBA, lots of tall ladies there…

  30. Hmm, I’ll have to check out the pattern, most of them are too small for my height. Sorry it’s getting to be too big. how about a bedspread?

  32. REALLY long shawls are tripping hazards. (I know from experience.) Doubling a rectangular shawl works – I don’t see how it would work with the peacock shawl. I wish I had stopped knitting sooner.

  33. You could send it to me, that’s a perfect size for my 5’9″ (175cm) self! I’m also in lust with that yarn. *saves pennies*

  34. It seems like in the picture that the top of the shawl is rolled over (and over and over, andoverandover) to give a little collar-ish effect, you know, for warmth.
    It’s really beautiful, nevertheless. Keep on lacin’….. and see what you get!

  35. Well, maybe that yarn just didn’t want to be a shawl. Maybe it’s a really interesting blanket instead. Or an unusual tablecloth. Maybe it just wants to be thrown over an armchair and look pretty.

  36. Yep, it’s a big one. Mine came out almost exactly to measurements, and while I love it on my 5’10” frame, my best friend tried it on and decided to knit her version with cobweb on 2.0mm needles (she’s 4’10”). Either way, it’s still pretty.

  37. I’ll take it, I’m a big woman. And mine has been half done since my daughter started moving on her own. (She’s 4 now, so that’s pretty much an UFO.)

  38. roflmao oh boy. Sorry. Its one benefit us Brits obviously have over Canadians that I wasn’t aware of. Many of us still work happily in two measurement systems…Why not make it a really cool “wrap up on the sofa” type shawl, rather than a “floating elegantly down Toronto’s main street” type shawl.
    How tall are the kids?

  39. No worries. I checked on Ravelry, and lots of people have completed it and have pictures of themselves with it draped over their shoulders. It looks beautiful! It’ll be perfect for the beginning of winter and the end of winter, and winter around your house and those chilly spring mornings. Enjoy it!!!

  40. I think a big shawl is nice as long as you’re standing up (in an evening gown). It’s just that when you sit down it looks like a blanket/serape.
    Just keep telling yourself, you did nothing wrong, and you can stop knitting at any time.

  41. So, if I ever get around to knitting this (and I do have the pattern), I should knit it on size 000 needles – that’s the message, right?
    Or grow another foot.

  42. what a way for gauge to smack you in the butt – you have it right this time, and the thing is still too big! well, maybe you can wear it with a winter coat – that is such a classy look, and you could have it for extra warmth around the ears and all. I am just imagining how all that extra fabric will wrap around you – perfect for winter?! with a long sweater coat or wool coat? It could be very elegant and warm!

  45. I had to laugh because now you know how many of us Yanks felt when you scolded us for not warning you about the 14 km walk to the village back in . . . March (?). You say cm, km, etc. We say, huh?! 🙂

  46. What you have there is a Christmas present (which is exactly what I did with the one I made and for the same reason)
    Congratulations, you started early this year.

  48. I had the same issue in reverse when I moved overseas from the States. Couldn’t figure out why things came out of the microwave so darn hot until I realized that the reheat setting was in kilos not pounds.

  49. Hey there Stephanie, I know this is kind of a stretch but I was wondering if you remembered the color number of the Grafton Batt you blogged about on July 24, 2008. It doesnt seem to be available from them and Im trying to track one down but the color number would help.
    Anyway, Thanks
    Tommy

  50. Sounds to me like its time to wrap it up (pun intended), bind off, block and start on the next project in the queue. Or, gift it to the tallest female member of your family. That would be…?

  51. I must tell you that I love reading your blog and finding out that you our hero of knitters has the same problem with measurement conversions as the rest of it.
    after spending my whole day on a conference call i love laughing and you always help me with that.
    Steph I picture you wearing this shawl as a burka. with really long heels to help…
    Thank you:) jackie

  52. All those in favor of Stephanie figuring out some way to put Ravelry-like (agree) buttons, raise your hands. I’m sure Casey could figure out a way to do it!
    I’m on the side of the previous commenters who suggested ending the shawl early at a comfortable size for YOU. I’m guessing the pattern is very elaborate and tinker-resistant. Sigh. Who’s the tallest shawl wearer in Toronto? Maybe that person would love it.

  54. It’s a very dramatic shawl – one to wear as you run across the moors or whatever, with it trailing behind you. Whatever you do, though, don’t stop running. 🙂
    I thought it looked big in the picture on the pattern, but I love it anyway. Maybe you can fold the top part over and wear it doubled over your shoulders? That’d shorten it by a few inches/centimeters.

  55. That’s not a shawl, that’s a throw. Or a crib blanket. Or… well… something big anyway.
    I bet wearing it folded in half would result in something nice and cozy warm…

  56. Felted lace! Finally, our dream comes true! I knew you’d be the one to do it.
    (In case this doesn’t make sense, I’m recalling a conversation we had at LK years ago… about the power of your blog, and whether you could convince people that “felted lace” was possible if you put it on your blog…). I’m laughing pretty hard to myself right now, anyway…

  57. Wow, that is pretty big. Maybe you could use it as a throw or something. Or give it to one of the girls. Meg’s taller than you, isn’t she?
    Or maybe you could do less repeats or something to make it come out smaller….

  58. (Delurking to say) I hope you don’t dedicate this shawl to the living room or anyone else. I don’t know a lot about lace, but it seems that the pattern doesn’t especially change at the top. Were I in your position, I’d try it on as I go, like a toe-up sock, and try to enjoy the opportunity to do some really elaborate pattern fiddling.
    A side note: I’ve been reading your blog for a year now, which happened to be my senior year of college, and honestly it helped me feel less homesick during some really stressful times. (My mother is a writer, too, though a seamstress, not a knitter.) Stay excellent, will you?

  59. As far as I’m concerned, this is yet another reason for there to be a rule made that all designers have their garments photographed on a REAL LIVE PERSON rather than a dress form. I can’t tell how long the shawl is supposed to be from that photo; can anyone else? The tip could hit anywhere from below the hips to below the knees!
    I haven’t knit lace, but it seems to me that gravity would make it stretch more even after blocking. Which means that you’ll have a cloak rather than a shawl. And if you stop in the middle, the design will look chopped off. I’d finish it and drape it artistically over the couch, to curl up in with a good book … or knitting … on a cold winter’s night … or morning. That yarn is too pretty to not finish it.

  61. I looked at the link and I figure that model must be really, really tall! Maybe you could stop a bit sooner to make it slightly narrower and less long? I will admit to the fact that I have never made a shawl at all so I don’t really know how it works.

  62. I just finished the Peacock Feather Shawl this past summer. I’m only 5’1″, and it sure did look big when I was blocking it, but I folded over or bunched up the top a little and it’s really fine. You can still see all of the pattern when you wear it and it’s not too long. Wore it to a family party and impressed the hell out of my relatives.

  63. OVER TWO METRES WIDE? You and I could wear it together and still have room for another short Stephanie to stand under the feathers with us!
    A friend, who is quite tall, just made this shawl and gave it to a colleague who is rather short. I know that the recipient will be able to pull it off in style, but I wonder if the knitter even considered the size of it!

  65. 88″ x 88″ is the size of a comforter for a full sized bed, to give you perspective.
    I think once I realized that the shawl was going to be that huge, I would have lost the will to continue!

  69. Maybe you’re really meant to starch the hell out of it and wear it like a peacock’s tail. 🙂
    And 150cm? I’m pretty sure you’re a little taller than 4’11”, even with your hair soaked down. In fact I have photographic evidence that you’re taller than Lee Ann, and she’s 5′ tall.

  70. Hmmm…if you don’t block it too severely, and cut down on the negative space, it might work as a windsurf sail. How’s the temperature of Lake Ontario this time of year?

  72. Ah, but my dear – look carefully at the photo of it that you linked to. Doesn’t it look like it’s been rolled at the neckline? Perhaps it is intended to be generously gathered at the neck… thereby reducing the shawl to human proportions?

  73. Oh, so funny! I do exactly the same thing with metric. I read those numbers and they just go into some little black hole in my brain. They remain unprocessed, undigested in any way. I’m so glad to hear that others do that too! And yes, I usually just go about my merry way as well; and only wonder later what on earth went wrong.

  74. If you’re not in love with the finished object, how about auctioning it off or having a raffle to raise $$ for a good cause (and/or stash enhancement)?

  75. This is probably a really stupid comment since I’m not familiar with the pattern as some of the other commenters are, but what’s stopping you from not knitting the entire length? I’m presuming this is a triangle and you’re either knitting from the point, or the center back. Just saying.
    I really do think the yarn/pattern combo are fab, so I hope you figure out a way to enjoy it.

  76. Well, if it does drag like a train we’ll just provide you with a really elaborate tiara at any public event you may wear it too, along with a sparkly scepter, and we’ll have a few folks stand around in somber suits and sunglasses. We’ll say you’re a visiting dignitary (Head Harlot!) from Stashlandia, on a humanitarian mission for TSF. Bonus points if someone spontaneously curtsies in awe!

  77. Just think of how long you could keep the heat off in the house this winter while wrapped up in all that shawl! You’d win the furnace wars for sure- and in style~!

  78. Hi Stephanie
    How about clipping the feathers of this monster-bird and stopping where you have got to? Design a few new end rows and complete it right now. Might work…. I am sure it will look pretty as a shorter version. Possibly even better, and you’ll have enough yarn left over for some matching gloves.
    For what it’s worth, I can’t think in inches either, or Fahrenheit, or knitting needle sizes that don’t finish with the letters mm. Our daughters are the same. My mother would measure them when they were small – “You’ve grown an inch!” she would say. They would come rushing in to the next room where we were, in eager anticipation. “How much is an inch?” and then when they found out they had grown a whole 2.5 cm they were thrilled at how much that was!
    Congrats on the new book too. Wonderful to see a new volume from you.
    All the best
    Moi

  81. Hey check out Lynn there at 2:41 pm – she’s going to grow another foot! I fail to see how that will change the fit on her shawl, unless a woman with 3 feet will be so distracting that you’ll never notice her giant shawl!

  82. “Maybe it’s…. A car cover, or a para-sail. Yeah. Maybe I’m knitting a shawl for the pick-up truck.”
    LMAO! I just snorted soda onto my keyboard!

  85. Well, that *is* a nice size for some of us. Many of the patterns I see are more like….head scarves…for me (like the Swallowtail if done according to pattern…definitely a shawlette). It’ll be beautiful though 🙂

  86. Why not just stop knitting until its a good length and then do the cast off? I mean, it’s not like you’re knitting a face into it or something or something is going to get cut off and make it look all weird… ^_^

  87. I had a similar moment with Anne Hanson’s Honeybee stole (it comes in two sizes, large and small). I decided that I wanted a big stole, not a small one, and glanced at the measurements. Large looked good, tall enough to look dramatic but I wouldn’t be swimming in the thing. When I got through the first half, it looked longer than I expected, and turns out I’d read the UNBLOCKED measurements when planning. It’s gonna be enormous. I think that Iwill, indeed, be able to swim in this stole.

  88. I think it’s only too big if you intend to wear it like a cape. I agree with the others – bedspread! home decor! Can it be wrapped artfully around you? I hope so!

  89. I vote for the tiara. I *love* mine. I have “a few” (ahem) that I wear when I need a pick-me-up. And a pick-me-up just might be the extra height you need to carry this off whilst attending to household duties or at the local market.
    🙂

  90. Oh, I think it’ll be pretty, and since it’ll be so big you can wrap it around yourself and…honestly, I’m not sure what you can do with it. But it’ll be beautiful, I’m sure of that. You’ll just be draped all over in lace when you wear it. Or you can find a really tall friend who would like it instead. 😉

  91. Your welcome to my old platform dancy-pants boots I used to wear clubbing. They will give you an extra 5 inches and since they are black (and I drew on some fangy teeth)you could go for a Siouxsie Sioux look…although we’d have to dye the hair black and have you make friends with copious amounts of eyeliner…On second thought, it would be a lovely gift for Juno!

  93. Yeash! That pattern needs taking repeats out in three different places to make it smaller. That would be a challenge. Lots of graph paper for that one.
    Maybe trains and/or petticoats and wide skirts will come back in style and you will have lots of clothing to spread the shawl over.
    You said that men seem to be happy puting strange things on their head. Maybe Joe would enjoy it as a kind of hat? Turban? . . . .
    Na, give it to Juno. ; )

  95. Aaaaand now you know why no one said anything about your 14 km trek last winter! (Still sorry about that, btw). Units are disorienting!

  98. Keep knitting. You can use it to keep warm durning the “Furnace War” of 2008. That much shawl should keep you plenty warm.

  99. It is such a relief to know your Canadian eyes glaze over when reading 88″ the same way my American eyes do when reading 110cm.
    Math is hard enough for me, why do they have to add FOREIGN math on top?
    Given your resourcefulness (and common-sense frugalness), no doubt you’ll find a worthy elephant hospital to donate it to, LOL.

  100. In the picture you linked to, you can see that they bunched up the top of the shawl around the neck. Must be because it is a monsterous size shawl! A picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes even pictures are deceiving!

  101. What about draping it on the back of the sofa (like so many have suggested) or on top of the coffee table?

  103. Well, why not stop early? You could just follow the pattern until it’s the size you want, then bind off. That way, it’s exactly the size you want, you won’t have to rip out, and it’ll still look beautiful! 😀

  104. It’s a peacock shawl. It’s meant to be big. It’s meant to trail down your back showing off all those feathers. It’s meant to make the Muggle heads turn while you’re walking down to street. It’s meant to strut.
    By the way, love the colour.

  105. I think this might just give you the edge over your brother when the furnace war kicks off again! Should gain you another week at least.

  106. I would call Dorothy Siemens (416-782-3407) and ask her how tall she is.
    It’s a lovely shawl, nonetheless — something you can really wrap yourself up in. To appreciate the design, though, it might just have to be displayed as an objet d’art. (Probably not on a truck.)

  108. A beautiful bedcover, perhaps? A lovely drapery for a bay window? 🙂
    For future reference on quick converting, Google will do it for you right in the regular search window. We relied on this when we were on our honeymoon in Nova Scotia and had no grasp on the kilometer/mile relationship. 🙂

  109. D’oh! I knit Peacock Feathers a few years ago, and, yeah, visualizing the finished photo I took on my 66″ tall model, it’s a long, wide shawl.
    But it’s absolutely beautiful when it’s done.

  110. and you would be the one to start the craze of felted shawls. (and how exactly would that work with all the negative space.. which btw was one of my most favorite of your posts ever-being an art major myself and all.)

  114. Can you just bind it off early, taking out some repeats? Sounds like you’re almost done. Celebrate!

  115. Yeah, it’s a really big shawl. The last rows feel like FOREEEEEEEEVER. But it’s so gorgeous and so worth it at the end:) Mine came out over 8 feet after blocking, and I’d dropped my needle size by two just to get gauge. And it does garner many comments when worn;)

  119. NOOOO! Don’t felt it!!!!!
    It’ll be the perfect size to surl up on the couch with once winter comes back around. All snuggly and soft and pretty.

  121. I’ve noticed that several shawl patterns are sized for very tall women who like to wear their shawls hanging below their knees. But this one sounds like it’s sized for someone tall enough to be a model (ie about 5’11”).

  122. That was the ONE problem with my Peacock. I adored everything about it except for the fact that, when I wore it, it came within about 3″ of the ground. (I didn’t check my gauge either–with lace, I never even considered it!)
    Just, um, take my advice and when you block it? Be very, very gentle … I blocked mine just beautifully and made it even BIGGER. I was so high from the thought of finishing that gorgeous thing, I wasn’t thinking at all.
    Oh, and last Christmas? I gave it to my best friend for her 40th birthday. At least she’s got the inches to wear it…

  123. I’m making a shawl from “A Gathering of Lace” that is going to be 5-6′ square. I figure that it is sized to wear over my hoop skirt.

  125. Ok, yeah. It’s a big big shawl. I did it a couple of years ago and mine blocked out to be almost 8.5 feet across. Of course, being a woman of size, this works for me. Perhaps you AND your daughters could all wear it together?

  129. And you wondered why we didn’t yell last winter when you went for your “walk” to get beer? Same sort of thing was going through our (those of us from the US) minds when you told us your plan.
    At least this will keep you warm and perhaps mummified, not out too long in the freezing cold woods.

  130. I say finish it–it sounds lovely regardless of the size. If you think it doesn’t work for you, gift it to someone tall. Personally I think it sounds like a handy item to have if you should accidentally lock yourself out of a hotel room in your skivvies… 🙂

  132. Don’t fret-I love big shawls. I once knit an entrelac beauty that started beyond perfect guagewise, but ended up with loose gauge for the last few tiers and almost reaches the ground. After the initial horror, I immediately found it useful. My shawl doubles as a rainbow beauty of an afghan when not over my shoulders. I consider it my coat of many colors. (Many, in this case, being 11). Who knows-you may end up with a gorgeous lace throw!

  133. You could do what I just did after spending 4 weeks knitting a stole…. Felt it whilst blocking!!! (Yes the air was blue) made for a really small stole though – well a scarf really.

  134. Well, at last, an advantage to being (nearly) OLD.
    That is, old enough to remember, and be able to THINK in Imperial. But young enough to be grateful (really, really grateful)not to have to perform long division on the old Pounds, Shillings and Pence.
    Never mind – it will be magnificent.
    Gae, in Callala Bay

  135. The first comment was my first thought – give it to Juno. You must have lots of tall friends. Now you know how we Imperial knitters feel about the metric system! Like, what is a kilo?

  138. Make it a cape (this may have been suggested already I havent read all the comments yet. I will say I make a shawls big anyway so I can REALLY wrap them around me.

  139. How GARGANTUAN was that mannequin they modeled it on? Really, click on the link and that looks like it would just cover one’s butt! So deceptive. I’d blame it on the photo. It recalls, for me, Maggie Rigetti’s Knitting in Plain English book and how she said you never really could trust a photo of the garment because they always did something funky with the modeling of it. Verdict: not your fault!

  140. I was glad to see a comment from another tall girl. At 6′ 00”, all the things I knit for myself are on that scale. I envy you in how much less you have to knit to cover yourself…. Just think, you are walking a mile in a tall knitter’s moccasins!

  141. Stephanie,
    My birthday is just around the corner (9/30) you could send it to me as a birthday present!

  142. Even though its big…could you use it as a wrap around a much plainer skirt? I did it with the one I made and its way too big. It wraps 2x’s and looks fabulous over a contrasting color skirt. Way too pretty for the truck!!!

  144. Wow…I don’t know what else to say except that I have a knitted purse that would suit the person/thing who’s gonna wear it. Let me know if you need it.

  145. I always have the opposite problem. I am a sizeable woman and forever altering shawl patterns to make them big enough. Sometimes my calculations are off. (The last time I made a top-down shawl I had to keep going back for another ball of yarn. Finally near the end, with the permission of the owner, I just camped at the yarn store one day and knitted, pulling one ball after another off the shelf until the shawl was finished.)
    Certainly it’s not beyond you to down-size the shawl proportionately. Don’t give up, don’t settle, don’t give it away. It’s too beautiful.

  146. It is huge! And somehow the one I am knitting is coming out very slightly larger than anticipated (maybe the silk I’m using?). I am seriously considering ending it without the final edging, mostly because my deadline is so soon ( a little over a week!), but also because I don’t want the bride I’m knitting it for to be overwhelmed…
    But, dang, it’s pretty! (Mine’s ivory, and I love it, but yours is just so… peacock-y. Lovely!)

  147. It will be a great “snuggle up on the couch while it snows out” shawl. Beautiful enough to make you content to sit there rather than wishing you could go outside and ride your bike, and big enough to wrap around and around for comfort and warmth. Also, that design will be so beautiful on that scale.

  148. I think it will look very elegant and gorgeous…like a beautiful cape. Plus I usually have the opposite problem…WHEN is this going to be long enough? So you’ve avoided that!

  152. Okay, so its big. But what scared me was “huge sigh” at row 171?! Dear, just think of how bloody long row 250 will be….AND a crochet bind off? — oh god, I think I feel ill.
    My prayers are with you!

  153. Size – same thing happened to me with this pattern, but the woman I gifted it to didn’t care anything about the size, she was so happy with it.
    Carol

  156. Use it as an invisibilty shawl… you know, drape it over the laundry pile, the kitchen sink, the new bag of yarn you just brought in, the list is endless, like the shawl! 🙂

  157. I agree with the “Just say no…” crowd – can’t you just stop knitting now that it’s big enough? Just bind off? Unless there’s cool detailing that hasn’t been worked in yet, in which case, I go with the “Wear it with heels” crowd. Everything looks better with a good pair of heels, anyway. 🙂

  159. Rec’d your Page A Day 2009 Calendar from my Amazon Pre-order today! 🙂 I am so looking forward to “a sassy year of knitterly insiration!” Thanks Stephanie!!!

  160. As someone who did do the knitting maths to find out how much was left after 5 charts of this shawl I really advise against it. You’re happier not knowing.
    The crochet bind off is a breeze btw as you get to bind off three stitches at once each time.

  161. I know what my husband would say, if it was me knitting that shawl. He’d say, “Is that going to be a cover for a 747?” I know, because he’s said it to me before, during my earlier knitting days when, mysteriously and completely unintentionally, I used to add stitches to my knitting. Maybe you could just gracefully sort of finish it off before it gets big enough to cover an airplane? All that crocheting…may the force be with you. And where are you going to block this behemoth?

  163. Too funny!!! I think I actually snorted.
    I have the same problem, but with meters and centimeters and such. I agree with you that “when Knitters rule the world……”

  165. Mel at 3:27- LOL! I want to see it starched and in full display!
    I’d probably wrap it around and tie it like a hap shawl.
    Or run a (smooth, silk) drawstring through it partway down and create a beautiful lace hooded cape. The hood could be worn draped down the back. And some hoods are huge… yeah, that’d work.

  166. Now you don’t have to knit for another 79 rows. Just start the edging sooner, and make it your size. It’s so lovely, it would be a shame to knit it so huge that you can’t use it.
    And think of the consequences if you did make it the suggested size . . . do you really want to make a shawl so huge that you have to keep the floors completely spotless? You don’t want to have to wash and block the behemoth every time you wear it. Think of the time spent mopping, vacuuming and dusting baseboards; or nagging on the girls to do it. I shudder just thinking about it.
    Do make it smaller.
    (Then those of us who would want a smaller shawl will have some clue of the true yardage requirements. It would be a public service! ;o)

  169. Excuse me if someone has already pointed this out, because I have not read all the comments yet. I just looked at the link to the Peacock Shawl, and it is 88 inches wide, and 43 inches long. They used the terms “across” and “deep”, though. Don’t panic. I think it should be OK. If you still think it may be too big, you could always stop increasing and do the edging at an appropriate stopping point if you want to “cut it short”.

  171. Priceless. This is how I feel when I read something in cm. Little understanding of how bit it really is. Nice to know that the Great and Mighty Yarn Harlot (I say that with all due respect) has the same problems as this Michigander.

  174. I know exactly how you feel. I did something similar the first time I made the Harlot Unoriginal Hat. I used a set of US7 instead of 7mm. Big difference. Good luck with your lacy blanket. 🙂

  175. 1. I am a VERY BIG fan.
    2. I would give the shawl a very good home.
    3. I am 6′ tall.
    4. I love you to pieces! (did I butter you up well enough?)
    5. I will pay shipping!

  176. THANK YOU!
    I’ve never known why it is I keep resisting the siren call of that shawl. I love it. It’s gorgeous. I want it.
    I’m short.
    When my back is in full alignment, and I’m all stretched and limber and tall from yoga…. I don’t quite make it to 5’3″ (conversion there is about 159 cm) of which my head and neck are — golly about 12″ (30 cm) which would put this baby at only about 8″ from my heels!
    I’m thinking wall hanging….

  178. Hi Stephanie,
    What a shame to felt such a beautiful shawl! Why not give it to someone VERY tall, who’s having a tough time?

  179. From the photo on the pattern, it looks to me like they folded over the straight edge about 3″ deep a couple of times before they put it on the mannequin. That would get you a nice cosy collar around your neck and take up 8 inches or so of that nasty depth.
    Or you could give it to somebody tall.

  181. I’m only 5’5″ (165.1cm) and I’ve got a Peacock Feathers shawl knitted out of Midnight Rainbow/Harlot’s Peacock laceweight by the talented, generous and intrepid Janice in GA (that’s Knitting, with Dogs) and it’s a wonderful, perfect size. I promise it won’t swallow you. Janice blocked mine within the proverbial inch (2.54cm) of its life. Wearing it makes me feel like a princess (and sometimes…a harlot?)
    Congrats on the new book!

  183. Please, please, please don’t felt that beautiful knitting! I’d cry. I’m sure it would make a lovely wall hanging at the very least!

  184. While I believe that the collar fold-over will solve all, and while I love the suggestion that Presbytera’s an appropriate height (not to mention Prebytera’s suggestion that I get it, yes, yes, it’s perfect for a declining 5’6″, though that’s probably Rachel H’s height,too,) Juno is shooting for 100 pushups — real ones. I can only manage against-the-wall ones, myself, but maybe as reward once she gets there? It would show off her shapely ankles.
    Or, damn it, finish it, fling it around ye, and STRUT.

  185. I almost fell out of my chair laughing, a car cover??? I suddenly has visions of me driving my Mini Cooper Convertible down the highway, with your shawl waving in the wind……

  189. Stephanie:
    You are too funny!! That thing with the shawl makes me feel so much better when I don’t pay attention to details like the measurements on the chart. You make me feel better!!!!

  191. Ok so someone towards the beginning said she could always grow another foot. And for a little while, I was confused as to how a third foot (as in an extra extremety) helps with a big shawl. I am all that is dork.

  192. You can use it to win the Furnace Wars-you and the family cuddled up under the shawl on the couch. Or chesterfield, as you would say. I know some canadian/international terms, but my eyes gloss over at centimeters and celcius.
    So I’ll never know how big or how hot/cold something is. LOL

  193. Well, the good news is that fashion wise it’s currently stylish to wear scarves and shawls piled up and around your neck. So your in luck! Just pile that puppy on! 🙂

  195. This is the shawl that takes you outside the box. Please finish it without changes, fold the top edge down, use a beautiful shawl pin and strut.

  196. I’m tall (not quite that tall but still…). How much would I have to give to Doctors Without Borders to take it off your hands? And isn’t there a huge fund raising opportunity here?

  197. It’s a great knit and worth the effort even if you can’t wear it as intended. You could consider doubling it on itself (like a circular shawl is worn). Even though that will obscure the lovely pattern, it would make for a warm shawl that you could be proud of knitting up. Of course, there is always the possibility of using it as a fund-raiser for TSF.

  198. That’s great news for me – I’ve been loving this shawl, coveting it even, and finding out that it’s that big puts in on my “must knit” list – I’m 6’1″ and proportioned to match and a lot of shawls look like antimacassars on the chesterfield of my bosom!

  200. A lady I knit with on weekends started with what she intended to be a baby blanket. Somehow it turned out to be big enough for a tween-size blanket. It freaked her out, until the lady she was gifting said, oh, that’s perfect for when the baby grows up!

  202. One learns very quickly just how big 88″ – or more – is when making a king-sized bedspread 😉
    (Not the one I made for my parents – I was foolish enough to do a *larger* one as a wedding gift last year, in a different pattern that involved far less ends… a very good thing when said bedspread ends up 90″x81″ *g* “A blanket the size of a small country”? Check. Never *ever* repeating that kind of insanity again? Check, check and check!)

  203. There’s a saying that goes “People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” Okay. How about “Nobody should throw stones.” That’s crappy behavior. My policy is: “No stone throwing regardless of housing situation.” Don’t do it. There is one exception though. If you’re trapped in a glass house, and you have a stone, then throw it. What are you, an idiot? So maybe it’s “Only people in glass houses should throw stones, provided they are trapped in the house with a stone.” It’s a little longer, but yeah.
    – As stated by Demetri Martin, one of my favorite comedians.

  206. Sounds like it will be very Stevie Nicks-like. Now you’ll need the lacy dress and high heeled boots!!! And..the back be danged! (Just a thought!)

  207. How about a really stunning wall hanging? I understand about the measurements thing: I had to live abroad for over a year before I finally had a decent mental grasp on how ordering a kilo block of cheese at the deli is really excessive or what diameter 5 mm needles really are or how if someone told me I had to walk two kilometers to get to point X from point Y that really wasn’t all that far…

  208. Hello, and forgive me if I am mistaken, as I am not a very experienced knitter, but I’ve seen and heard alot of things on this blog that have notivated me to say, “Couldn’t you just modify it?” The back looks like it could be ‘opened’ and made into a shawl that has two placards hanging down over your shoulders … that would put your head and shoulders a few/many inches from the edge … I thought of the word steeking (sp?) when I thought of this …. sorry if I’m all wrong, but I’m of the mind that you can do it Stephanie! You Can Do It!!

  209. I’m with those who suggest folding or rolling it at the shoulders for extra comfort and warmth, but if you can’t bear the thought of knitting the whole thing, then it might be possible to work less repeats in the middle sections and go straight to the edging.

  210. Stephanie, it’s going to be just fine!
    It is supposed to remind one of a peacock. Thinking of the peacocks I’ve seen in person, there is this tail… and when a peacock struts, there are all these feathers… I think when you wrap it around you… well, I think it’s going to be fine even for someone as petite as you, because you’ll want to fold it a little at your neck, just enough… you’ll just be the most beautiful, vibrant, shawl wearing woman!
    And maybe Rams can wear it for a very special occasion! It’s a little too far for Presbytera to have a turn (sorry).
    The color is wonderful (and it might be gone, another Harlot inspiration) and perfect.

  211. hahahahahahahah
    you’re too funny!
    It’s a para-sail for sure.
    that shawl would be overpowering on most anyone but a 6’5″ amazon.

  213. It could be worse. Confusion between metric and imperial measurements did for a mega multi million dollar Mars Lander. This is just a shawl :o)

  214. Give it to Denny – she will turn it into a costume of magnificent proportions.
    Or you could give it to me. I’m 5’7″ and a (ahem) big girl – I’d look great in a big shawl. Never mind that I’ve been trying to buy the yarn (and keep missing it) for about the last 18 months!

  215. I’m about the same height as you – and I never realized this shawl was so big.. but now I’m even more determined to knit it! I love big shawls! Just think how wonderful it will be to wrap it around yourself a couple of times when it gets cold and you’ll be nice and cosy!

  216. It is most definitely an early Christmas present, nearly finished….. Well done you for being so organised.

  217. I made it for a tallish person, but yes, it’s a great big shawl… First one I’ve had where blocking it on the bed was a serious problem…

  218. Ooooh! I love shawls that big. I’m tall, you could give it to me … No?….Oh well, it was worth a try LOL! Can you fold it so it kind of makes a shawl collar?…. No?… I’m striking out all over here. I’m with the some of the others. I think you should give it to a tall friend for Christmas. Sorry it’s too big, but boy is it lovely!

  219. Um Steph? Did you not spot that the shawl is rolled over at the top of the photograph on the pattern page?!
    Being a short-arse myself, I look for those sorts of giveaway signs in pattern photos.
    I guess that you could always decide that you are further along than you think by stopping the shawl early and thereby making it less wide and a bit shorter?
    I wouldn’t though. I’d knit it to pattern as I’m from the school of thought that thinks, ‘Oh well, why not?!’
    After all, isn’t the whole point of a peacock that it is a small bird that has a HUGE fantail?
    So, it seems only right that you’ll become the petite lady…
    …yep, with the outsize, albeit inverted, fantail shawl!
    I look forwards to seeing what you decide and how it turns out.
    G.

  220. In my mind you’re close to my age but this is obviously not true as you were bamboozled by Imperial.
    The second thought is that because you knit, in my head you’re also part of the garment trade and we all have to be fluent in Imperial and metric (as long as the U.S. stays Imperial Canadian garments will be done working in Imperial – must sell to the Elephant)
    To be truthful I have no concept of how tall I am in metric but I have several metric conversion calculators and wander back and forth.
    I think I’ll go downstairs and figure that out.
    I think I’m getting old.
    I think you’re part of the garment trade
    Is there someone doing pattern making humour?

  221. I knit this shawl as my first lace pattern. Somehow I got the idea to knit it on smaller needles with the recommended yarn, and it turned out nicely.
    I’m 155 cm tall, so I sympathize with the big shawl/short woman thing. I have worn the shawl once, though, and it fit rather well. I used 3.25 mm needles, and it turned out to block perfectly across the length and width of a twin mattress. Says on Google that’s about 190 cm x 99 cm.
    Good luck! I love the yarn.

  222. Oh, I also didn’t do the crochet loops. I simply left it with the knitted edge and I love it. I may do the crochet loops when I do another, which I will at some point! I knew 1/4 of the way through the first one that I wanted to knit it again.

  223. Not throwing stones, here, nope, not me.
    And you can’t tell me that Juno or Rams hasn’t been lobbying for it, because we KNOW the high heel option isn’t going to work – neither Birkenstock nor Blundstone make a high heeled version…

  224. A tablecloth? A bedspread? A testament to your perseverence? A throw (Kitchener Knitters’ Fair fashion show attendees might get this one….) Christmas tree cover? Small tent for camping? …… A new Bayeux tapestry? …. Oh my….

  225. I feel better. I read all your cm measurements thinking “How big is that?” I’m glad it’s just not me.
    Can you just hang it on the wall as art?

  226. I AM SO GLAD I READ THIS!! I have actually had the yarn and the pattern for this very shawl for a while, and I have been thinking about finally getting started on it. When you started yours, I was laughing to myself about the coincidence. That’s going to be one Honkin’ Big Hunka Shawl–so I’m going to do mine with a smaller needle. Oy!

  227. With the cost of heating expected this winter, wear it when you visit friends and family, so you have an afghan to use while visiting. I have a few big wraps that double very well as afghans. It would also work on airplanes, since you now have to pay to get a blanket even if you are turning blue.

  229. You could use it as your Imperial Robe and demand that the peasants in your house pay you the respect that you deserve….just a thought. 😉

  230. I thinks it’s really funny that you actually think this shawl is taking you ‘so long’ to knit. If I knit nothing else, day and night, I probably couldn’t get this done in a year. Keep going – it’s going to be stunning!

  231. Wear it sideways, with the long point scrunched up over your arm, and the points thrown haughtily around you neck/shoulders.
    My friend knit it, and I didn’t think it ‘large’, however, she is 5’10”. Almost 2m?

  232. Okay, I’ve never knitted lace, so maybe this is an idiotic question but … can’t you just stop knitting when it’s the size you want and make it smaller that way? Like lopping the bottom off a triangle? Or does that wreck the flow of the pattern, etc., etc.?

  233. You’re not fooling anyone, you know. You’re too experienced a knitter not to know how to modify the pattern, remove some repeats, and truncate the garment at an appropriate length. You don’t have to be good at math to do this. You just need to have a lot of experience under your belt (or, if you prefer, bandolier of needelry), which you do. Go on. Be brave. What’s the worst that could happen? You have to frog a bit of it? So what?

  234. Hey Stephanie! Don’t worry! I’m 66″ tall…….you could send it to me, I’m sure it would look GREAT on me! HA!

  236. Hi Stephanie,
    Sorry to hear the shawl you are knitting is big enough to house your entire community! That is one thing us petite women need to really pay attention to – – I love this pattern but it is a huge one. You can always get some platform shoes with REALLY high heels, like 5-6 inches high (of course, you have to be really careful if you are attempting to walk in them!). Can’t wait to see the finished shawl. Rosalia

  237. Finish the shawl. Send it to me. I am 5’7″ (I have no idea how many cm that is) and I think it would fit me. I’d be happy to take it off your hands. I’d even send you a picture to prove it went to a good home 🙂

  241. I clicked on the link and looked at the photo.
    Did you notice that they rolled up a lot of the length of the shawl at the front for the photo?
    It apparently looked waaaaay too long on the manniquin.
    I noticed that there was a really pretty pattern shown at the bottom. But I didn’t see the pattern in the main photo. Then I started checking, and realized that they had to roll up the whole first section to keep it from looking ridiculous in the photo because it was so long.
    If you could bear frogging a lot of it (maybe all of it), you could do the different pattern sections shorter. You could skip the first pattern completely, shorten the second pattern, and then just follow instructions for a beautiful shawl.
    I’ll bet it’s beautiful, though.

  244. Dear Stephanie,
    Please forgive me, but I couldn’t resist this quote:
    “Tension: Not tremendously important, (how would a shawl not fit?)…”
    Recognize it as your comment on your snowdrop shawl?
    Such lace is far beyond me – you have my sympathy or whatever would help to cheer you.
    Hoping my LYS will have “Free Range” soon.
    Thank you for sharing. KT in VA [hopeless with concept of length/width no matter how it’s labeled]

  246. Mine was 42″ from top edge to tip, after blocking. I don’t find it’s too long.
    I’m short, and it falls to just below my butt, but not low enough that I sit on it.
    And thanks to you I’m still thinking of doing a second one in a variegated yarn.
    🙂

  247. Ok, so I volounteer – to take on the massive shawl. I know it’s hard, but seeing as I enjoyed your talk in London a couple of weeks ago so much that I haven’t yet gotten around to blogging about it, I’m going to make up for it by volounteering to wear the megashawl all day, every day. I’ll send you my address by email. 🙂

  248. I have the same problem visualizing any metric measurements. I want to learn it, I really do, but the only one I can remember is that 110 metres = roughly 100 yards.

  250. Remember when I said that I didn’t know how far 7km was?
    Yeah.
    I’m about 60″ tall (and incidentally, so are you), and maybe 62″ in the tall shoes.
    I did mean to tell you that I had a lesson in kilometers recently. I’ve learned that 55km is a really really long way at night on winding one-lane switchback mountain roads in Peru with enormous fuel trucks insisting on the right-of-way.

  252. Sorry in advance for post derailment, but Franklin at The Panopticon raised an excellent point about taking pictures at speaking engagements.
    He said that you do an excellent job of keeping track of people in the photos, etc. and he is absolutely right! You do an IMPRESSIVE job!
    So, for those of us who just know that someday, it’s going to be them on the stage one day, giving the talk and taking the pictures – how do you do it???

  254. Hold a drawing for the shawl once you have finished it. Include a book or two, and some yummy yarn. And of course, any other knitting paraphenalia that comes to mind. *very big grin*

  255. solution nr one: set a trend
    solution nr two: maybe a long, long, evening gown?
    solution nr 3: I’m 180 cm long. Oh no wait: what that was that thing about 2 meters and something wingspan? Oh that’s cool: I have that too 😉
    In the end: just finish and wear it ;)! It will be wonderful.

  256. When I saw the title of your post I was convinced you were again commenting on your visit to St. Paul’s….. 😉

  257. Maybe you could just stop (she whispered). The “just stop” people are clearly in the minority. (I counted only 2 or 3 others before me. Either way, have fun!

  258. do you have room in the house enough to block the darned thing? even if you fold it in half? 🙂

  260. I say finish the thing and find a deserving transvestite to give it to…imagine how hard it is for them to find gloriously beautiful things!!

  261. OK, so it’s a cloak. It will look great on a dark coloured chesterfield. You could pull it over you on cold nights like a blankie. When you have fully appreciated it for a while, wash and reblock and give it to a tall person.

  263. I think it’s gorgeous, really gorgeous. I would finish it and wear it with joy, just as it is – it is such a fabulous pattern and beautiful yarn.

  264. My husband, only half jokingly, wants me to knit a cozy for our pop-up camping trailer. Would you consider selling your shawl for this purpose? 😉

  265. Stand on a ladder while wearing the shawl…If wearing during a speakinig engagement, have the podium put up on blocks….No one would ever guess your height or the length of the shawl. It could or would become the magical traveling shawl that fits everyone, no matter height or size….Then you could write a book about it, then produce a movie, then a second movie, we could go on and on…..or….how bout a fund raising raffle for doctors without borders……
    Very beautiful shawl by the way……

  266. Last spring I started a pi shawl that was a KAL on the EZasPi Yahoo! group. It was nicely designed, great to knit, great flow and a good pattern. It was in Knit Picks Shadow in the Oregon Coast colorway. I started knitting and it was great, maybe a little dull so added some beads to jazz it up. Now known in the family as Rodentia, due to that unfortunate color, it continues to grow, can’t quit knitting, still love the pattern, think that maybe it might be going to be a car cover?, a sail? (with holes??), maybe a lace tent? Who knows, just can’t quit knitting! Think the final outcome might be 9 feet. somewhere around 275-300 cm. Is there hope for us? Can you stop me? Help!!!

  268. don´t be shy – give this adorable thing to me 😉 I´m big and tall enough for it, please don´t shrink it!!
    (I probably never will learn this inch-thing ^^)
    Warm greetings from
    Ixe

  269. Stephanie – not to fear … after you take out the 14″ for going around your neck and it is folded in half, the shawl will only be bout 37″ long in the front (depending on how well endowed you are)…never forget that a shawl is birnakkt twice as long as it is wide.
    If all else fails you can always have the best dressed couch or piano in Canada!

  270. That’s partly why I didn’t block mine. The other reason is that I really like the way it looks unblocked. I know, I know. Don’t look at me like that. You saw my pictures. The edge is ripply and wavy and it fits nicely. I still love it.

  271. Yep, I’ve done it too. NBot with that pattern though. In the words of my 4-year-old, I knitted a “stupid long shawl” last month. I ended up taking it apart and doing K2Tog all across the top edge to make it smaller and to make it drape over my shoulders. Not stupid ling any more, but perfect!

  272. Apparently I can’t spell or type well after a day at a fiber show (A Wool Gathering in Yellow Springs, Ohio–one of the last bastions of hippydom and artsy people here in the land of the giant corn).

  273. Woah. Why on earth did the designer think anyone’d need a shawl that long? Blimey. Still, it’s Art. So beautiful. Hang it on the wall instead!

  274. I am 5’1″ tall when I stretch. I recently knitted a really basic triangular shawl out of 100g of laceweight, just kept knitting till I ran out of yarn. It is enormous. Its wingspan is about 2′ longer than mine (almost a meter). It’s long, hanging to my knees. I considered giving it to a friend of mine who is almost 6′ tall.
    But I am a big girl, width-wise, and it has turned out to be my best-fitting shawl. It wraps around me completely without looking like “big girl with a little shawl.”
    So, keep on with the peacock shawl! Take heart– on those days when you unexpectedly find an extra 5 lbs. of mystery weight, you’ll be glad for the extra cover-up.

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