I knit best on a deadline

Of course there are a few things that have to be done ASAP when you're planning a wedding in less than 4 months. Get locations booked, make up the guest list, and get the invitations out. And, of course, start knitting your shawl, since those take a while. I'm making the Laminaria shawl from the spring 2008 Knitty (Laminaria being the genus commonly known as kelp). The yarn is undyed laceweight silk from the Silk Weaving Studio on Granville Island - I've used their yarn before and it's really nice and excellent value. I'm using single-ply this time - it has a softer hand, better stitch definition, and looks more shiny, though it will be more susceptible to pilling.

The other difference between this yarn and the one I've used before, as I discovered when I washed and blocked my swatch, is that it smells terrible when wet. Like an old horse stall. It took about four or five days for the smell to go away. Therefore my deadline for finishing it is July 31. No staying up on Aug. 5 for me!

If I have time, I'll be making the smaller version in a complimentary colour for my sister as well. As it is, I've been working on it a week and I'm nearly done with the first section (the bit that's plain-looking in the picture).