Citron

This FO is a funny combination of selfishness and generosity. Seeing the Citron pattern on Knitty, I thought that it would be the perfect kind of project to make for the silent auction coming up at Bran's school. It is simple, elegant - but has pizzazz, and it would appeal to a variety of people.
So, with my good intentions intact, I went to Shuttles, Needles and Hooks in search of yarn to make the shawl. The choice of yarn was easy since the store had a number of small cones of Jaggerspun's Zephyr Wool-Silk, a yarn that I had wanted to try out for quite some time. The color choice was another matter. There was a beautiful garnet red, and if the shawl had been for me, I would have immediately chosen it, hands down. But I knew, even though I was there in the spirit of giving, that if I made the shawl in that red, it would be a lot more challenging to give it away. So I looked at the other available colors, and decided on a light pink called Ladyslipper for three reasons: 1) I thought it would be a good color for the design. 2) A lot of women I know like the color. 3) There was no way that I would want it.

That choice turned out to be an even better one than I expected. As I struggled with the tediousness of the many long stockinette rows with the lace yarn, I felt even more strongly that if I had used the red, it would be even more difficult to give my work away, especially because I have never been to one of the auctions at this school, and have no idea what the shawl will actually sell for. It is hard to put a price on this kind of work, but I would feel pretty bad if it sold for only $20, and even worse if it were something I would have happily added to my own wardrobe.

I'll admit that even in its pinkness I won't be thrilled if it only sells for $20 because I could also gift it to someone who would know the value of the work I put into it. But I still want to take the risk in hopes that a shawl like this will make more money for the school than G and I could give in cash out of our pockets. And, since I am new to the area, I also hope that seeing the shawl might get people interested in knitting, perhaps giving me an opportunity to pass on the hobby as I have always loved to do.

Regarding the pattern, the result is lovely enough that I would do it again, stockinette and all. Next time, I may add a repeat or two to make it larger, and it will most likely be red.