This is my original design “Miranda's Sea Shawl by the Sea Shore”, inspired by the 1912 J.W. Waterhouse painting “Miranda” which was inspired by Shakespeare's “Tempest”. I created the pattern for a fiber cooperative - Phat Fiber Sample Box - I've joined to promote my designs. This pattern is available at garilynn.etsy.com, ravelry.com and patternfish.com - Search under Miranda's Sea Shawl by the Sea Shore.
MIL seemed to like it, so I contacted my fiber partner - flyngmunky.etsy.com - to see if she had more of the yarn. Sadly, she was not working with that blend anymore. I decided to make it from dyeing the fiber, to spinning, plying and knitting the shawl.
I started with unspun, undyed fiber (called roving). The fiber blend is Superwash Merino and Seacell. The seacell is purported to have special properties (text from paradisefibers.com):
SeaCell®pure is a cellulose fiber containing seaweed (e.g. ascophyllum
nodosum).
The idea behind SeaCell®pure is actually quite simple: The natural raw
materials cellulose and seaweed represent the basis for the manufacture
of the SeaCell®pure fiber, employing the "Lyocell Process". The cellulose
fibers act as functional substrate for the seaweed.
– Breathable
– Soft
– Supports skin blood flow
– Stimulates skin cell regeneration
– Pleasant touch, comfortable feel
Seaweed is added as the active substance for a good reason. The fact that
this marine plant is rich in various minerals, trace elements,
carbohydrates, fats and vitamins, has been well-known since the times of
Chinese medicine. Moreover, seaweed has been proved to protect the
skin and exhibit anti-inflammatory properties, which also unfold in the
SeaCell®pure fiber.
The SeaCell®pure fiber offers the manifold properties of seaweed and its
health-promoting substances. The structure of SeaCell®pure facilitates an
active exchange of substances between fiber and skin. The natural body
moisture releases the constituents when the fabric is worn.
The effect of SeaCell®pure remains unchanged even after numerous
washing cycles.
Numerous tests, carried out by various institutes and organizations,
examined the fiber properties and confirmed the durability of the
SeaCell®pure effect.
In cooperation with the Fresenius Institute in Berlin, it was demonstrated
that, in the humid environment of the skin surface, the SeaCell®pure fiber
is able to release its active ingredients as required..
The colors I used reminded me of 2 gifts that we'd given MIL in the past that she liked. One was the Star Ruby Sapphire ring, the other was the quilt. I also like the combination of colors in Pink and Purple Crazy Lace Agate (picture from titisjewelry.etsy.com) :
Picture of wet dyed roving:
Roving dried and fluffed up:
Corner of russet and gold Miranda shawl of Miranda yarn by flyngmunky.etsy.com with swatch of dyed yarn for Charlene's shawl:
This was darker than I envisioned the shawl, so I added 50% undyed fiber when drafting and spinning to lighten the color. This also made it more interesting:
I Navajo plied the singles:
And used a makeshift lazy kate Genvalia Box to hold my Magic Wand spinning stick while I rolled the yarn into a ball:
Two more views:
The package is out for delivery today. I won't know until Christmas if she likes it or not.
