Dear Ann,

My Giftalonging is going just great, thanks for asking. In fact, it’s going amazing. My laissez-knit approach has yielded me one Hap Cowl already (using Rifton Mono and remnants of the Rifton used for my Hei Cowl), and I’m having a fabulous time knitting whatever the heck I feel like.

Sunday was a particularly good day. You texted me a link to a project, with a comment like, “Isn’t this cute?” or something. The link was to Ravelry.com, and to Tamara’s Dangling Conversation shawl.  (Cue joyous John Williams music appropriate for woman being scooped into the strong, loving arms of a knitting pattern.)

Tamara used a set of Euroflax mini-skeins in the Sea colorway. She used up each mini skein down to the nub, and got this fantastic result.

GAH! It’s so great. (That knot–killing me with the jaunty!) It’s the kind of scarf I am always looking for in warm weather, when I want something decorating the collarbone area, but it needs to be lightweight and linen.

I know a good thing when I see it. I had a pack of Euroflax mini-skeins in the Earth colorway, which I’d been planning to use to make another Chevron Stripe Hand Towel for the Giftalong. But since there are NO RULES in my Giftalong, I decided then and there to stop, drop and make a Dangling Conversation with my Earth mini skeins.

Here’s where things stood as the light faded on Sunday afternoon.

And here’s where things were yesterday at the end of the day. I might have been able to squeeze two more rows onto that edge before binding off, but I wasn’t in the mood for ripping back if I was wrong.

The key thing about Dangling Conversation is that the construction allows you to use up all, or nearly all, of each mini skein, so you don’t end up with even tinier oddments of yarn. There is no calculating whether a mini skein will be enough yarn for a repeat; no danger of having to change colors mid-motif or mid-stripe.  The design lets you change colors when you are about to run out of a color. The transition looks planned, because you start each new color with a row of yarn-over-k2tog eyelets.

It’s so SO satisfying to find a perfect pattern for a special yarn that you love with all your heart. I know that more Conversations are going to be Dangling in my future. I’m already thinking about making a Long, Drawn-Out Dorm Room Conversation using two packs of Euroflax Miniskeins, so that I can double-wrap (as is my wont–I’m a double-wrapper from way back).

I owe it all to you for showing me Tamara’s version. Thank you, the both of yas. Special thanks to Tamara for answering my questions about her version, and sharing her photos.

Love,

Kay

P.S. Fear not, I will soon share a photo or 6 of the tidied-up, blocked version. But I’m in love with the messy-bun version of this project.

P.S. Can analysis be worthwhile? Is the theatre really dead? Is this pattern inspired by this Simon & Garfunkel song?