in progress :: the most boring knit ever, originally uploaded by earthchick.

Last Christmas, I gave my mom a handknit shawl. Okay, actually I gave her a gift bag full of yarn and a few knits rows of a shawl. Tacky, I know.

I got to work on the shawl afterwards. My mom specifically wanted a black shawl, and it needed to be of a shape that would go around the back of her wheelchair but still come far enough around on the front to cover her arms. Because she wanted it for warmth, I wanted to go with a pattern and a yarn that wouldn’t be too lightweight. I decided to go with Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Pi Are Squared in Malabrigo Silky Wool (technically a DK, but I knit it at a fairly loose gauge on size 9s).

I had a couple of false starts with it – I couldn’t seem to stay focused on it, and then when I picked it back up I would invariably make some sort of mistake. I finally started again for real in July, and got a little farther than this picture shows. And yeah, now it’s almost Christmas again.

Dad, if you’re reading this, don’t tell Mom!

I have finally come to terms with the fact that I don’t have the heart to make this shawl. I could deal with miles of garter in black yarn if the end results were going to be stunning. But I realized I just didn’t think the end result would be stunning enough.

Enter Back Bay , a new pattern by Kirsten Kapur, as part of the Charles Collection by BHK Cooperative. I saw Kirsten wearing hers at Rhinebeck and it was stunning. I’ve become obsessed with it. I want one right now! It would be a perfect accessory for my wardrobe – totally versatile as a scarf or a stole. I love it!

It finally dawned on me that it would also be perfect for my mom. It’s cozy and stylish, plus long enough to meet her needs. With the lace and the cables, it’s got enough to keep me interested, even in black yarn.

I’ve got more than a month till Christmas, right? I can get this done by then, I think. But given that this is last year’s Christmas gift, I still have no idea what I’m giving her for this Christmas.

By the way, check out Kirsten’s recent blog post about Back Bay. There’s a KAL going on in the Charles Collection Ravelry group – and it’s not too late to join!