I made this little Stephen West shawl about a year and a half ago.  I started it on a trip to Cornwall with friends, and did a little bit of knitting on the beach (though it wasn’t particularly warm!), hence the name.  The shawl is a really great shape, more like a scarf really, and so easy to wear.  Blogging about it has made me want to get it out again and wear it before it gets too cold!  It is a really versatile little piece and although light, surprisingly warm.

However, the real highlight of this project was the yarn.  It is a blend of camel and silk by travelknitter. (Just going to her etsy store makes me want to buy more now!)  The colour is a beautiful golden yellow and it is so soft (the camel) with amazing drape (the silk).  She is local to me in East London and hand dyes all her yarn.  I bought the 4 ply camelsilk at a sheep shearing event at Spitalfields City Farm.  Here are two of the more interesting characters we saw!

The farm is a lovely place with many different animals, not just sheep.  There are several city farms near where I live and they are all great community projects.  It is always nice as a Londoner to go and visit, see the animals, and feel like there’s a little bit of the countryside in the city.