Happy New Year, everyone! In years past, I have come up with ambitious lists of resolutions. This year, there are lots of things that I would like to happen, but I am content to leave them as dreams and not subject them to the harsh rigors of reality. All I demand of myself in the new year is to do things that make me happy.

The new year has already brought one happy thing: a finished project!

Behold, the Gothic Damson. So named because the color of the purple yarn is Gothic Rose, a twist of fate resulted in this shawl a having black edging, which gives it a definite gothic flair. By twist of fate, I mean I ran out of yarn. The absolutely wonderful people at Jimmy Beans Wool got a skein of black to me by Christmas Eve, which meant Hermanita got all the makings for a shawl Christmas morning and the shawl itself the day after New Year’s.

Pattern: Damson, by Ysolda Teague
Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy, Gothic Rose and Black Pearl

Although I could never allude to (read: fuss over) how long this shawl was taking to finish because Hermanita is a reader, I would have liked to many a time. Ravelry tells me I started this shawl in early October, which is not all that long ago, but Damson is a very, very simple pattern and there is absolutely no reason it should have taken me so long to finish. Even the loopy edging is not in the least difficult.

But one project, and then another stepped in front of the Gothic Damson, until all of a sudden it was Christmas Eve and I had come to the realization that I had no backup gift for Hermanita. Thank you, Hermanita, for waiting graciously.