I made that!

[furmonster mom]

So... I've been a little absent lately, for various reasons. 

One of those reasons is because I spent a lot of time working on this crocheted shawl.....

IMG_0529 (1024x681).jpg

• furmonster mom
• Sep 15, 2014

It's actually more like a full body poncho.... 

It is all 3 gauge thread, quad-stitch crochet.  Hexagonal, increase at point each row.

I spent 5 nights a week, 8-10 hrs a night, for 7 weeks.

It was so large, that it took up my entire queen sized bed.... folded in half.

And yes, I did it in the "no cat" room. 

Even went so far as to tape roll myself every time I went in to work on it... I went through several rolls, lol.

This is at the "nearly finished" point.

IMG_0497 (768x1024).jpg

• furmonster mom
• Sep 15, 2014

In case you're wondering, it's a recreation of Morgana's (Helen Mirren) shawl in the 1981 movie Excalibur.  

The lady who commissioned it wore it at this year's DragonCon.  She bears a striking resemblance to the young Helen Mirren.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

  W.O.W.  That is AMAZING work!!!  

I hope she can use it more than once.  It's really stunning!!

 

[Winchester]

That is gorgeous!

 

[stewball]

Fantastic. Good for you.

 

[littlelion]

Wow! Incredible! You have a really special talent!

 

[furmonster mom]

 
Wow! Incredible! You have a really special talent!

heh... I actually didn't learn to crochet until my mid 30's.  My friend who taught me has been doing it since she was 10 or something.

It's not really "difficult", per se, but it does take some practice to get your technique so your stitches and gauge are even and consistent.

For this project, it took more stubbornness than anything else... lol.

 

[Anne]

It's actually more like a full body poncho.... 

It is all 3 gauge thread, quad-stitch crochet.  Hexagonal, increase at point each row.

I spent 5 nights a week, 8-10 hrs a night, for 7 weeks.

It was so large, that it took up my entire queen sized bed.... folded in half.

And yes, I did it in the "no cat" room. 

Even went so far as to tape roll myself every time I went in to work on it... I went through several rolls, lol.

This is at the "nearly finished" point.

IMG_0497 (768x1024).jpg

• furmonster mom
• Sep 15, 2014

In case you're wondering, it's a recreation of Morgana's (Helen Mirren) shawl in the 1981 movie Excalibur.  

The lady who commissioned it wore it at this year's DragonCon.  She bears a striking resemblance to the young Helen Mirren.

Awesome work! Did you have a pattern or did you come up with the pattern based on a picture? Shawls can be huge and this one is so long and is full body so like a poncho and even larger, so I can imagine this taking up so much space on a bed!

 

[furmonster mom]

 
Awesome work! Did you have a pattern or did you come up with the pattern based on a picture? ...

Since it was a costume re-creation, I looked at as many pictures and screenies from the movie as I could drum up to get it as close to the original as I could.

I worked up 3 different patterns before I hit the right one.  Even so, it's not entirely perfect.  I didn't account for the weight of the garment stretching the stitches. 

Also, it's much longer than I would have preferred, but the client wanted it to trail behind her.  I don't think she really understood how that would affect maneuverability, but she seems to have made it work!

During my research, I discovered that many of the costumes in that movie were hand crafted.  There were apparently many requests for copies of Guinevere's wedding dress, which was beaded completely by hand, as was her veil.  I believe the armor is actually on display in a museum in London.

 

[margecat]

Wow! That's both impressive AND beautiful. I envy your talent!  I can't crochet, and have the barest of knitting skills.

BTW, I love your "no cat room". It looks like a wonderful place to work, and is so neat and tidy (unlike my "studio" right now).

 

[catsknowme]

Congratulations on your beautiful creation!! What a treasure - I am sure that you will be receiving more commissions!!