FO | It's a Wrap

It took a little while, but Alaris, my cape-poncho-ruana-shawl is finished. 

The timing couldn't be better. Storms have been roaring through the region, hail has been pummeling us with alarming regularity, and the temperature has been zooming up and down like a rollercoaster. Mornings and evenings are cool, and often a residual chill lingers throughout the day.

In other words, even before it was finished, Alaris was getting quite a workout. Let's look at a few highlights.

This was a fast and easy knit, and it was satisfying to see the variegated RicRac in action. This yarn has been waiting for the right project to come along, and finally it did. Pairing it with the black Cotton Fleece (cotton/wool blend) worked well. It preserved the cottony feel, added a little woolly resilience, created tweedy stripes, and helped prevent color pooling.

The modular approach (no surprise there) kept work in progress compact and manageable, and the panels grew quickly. They waited patiently until I found time to seam them together, but once underway, the task went quickly. Both times. (As you recall, I changed my mind, unpicked the seams, and reassembled the panels in a new sequence. Yet another reason to love modular construction.)

I'm pleased with the results for several reasons. The fabric is fluid and reversible, and the design is versatile. Long before the last ends were woven, I decided to give my overworked Dojeling shawls a break and began wearing Alaris indoors as an extra layer on cool days. (Garbed in a wrap with dangling unwoven ends, I was as you can imagine a lovely sight to behold.) 

Now that it's finished, it's become my go-to wrap whether I'm working in the office, running errands, or grabbing a few precious knitting moments in the evening. Because I left one seam open, I've been wearing it whichever way strikes my fancy that day. 

Monday, I draped it like a shawl. Tuesday, I wore it square like a cape/ruana. Wednesday and Thursday, were shawl/wrap days. Friday, I added a decorative pin, and wore it angled like a poncho. Eventually I may add closures, but right now I'm having too much fun playing with the possibilities.

Alaris Mixed Media
Yarn: RicRac (Blue Heron); Cotton Fleece (Brown Sheep)
Needles: US 9 (5.5 mm)
Yardage: 767 yards
Size: L (44 x 44 ins sqr)

I'm getting so much wear out of this, I'm eager to cast on another. I'm resisting the urge, for one simple reason: There are several other projects OTN, and we all know I get twitchy if there are too many WIPs. That said, I suspect none of us would be surprised if a another one finds its way onto the needles before too much time passes. We shall see.

UPDATE
For those who've inquired, the Alaris pattern has been released!


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