I Always Like a Mystery

There are generally two types of people: those who like surprises and those who don’t. I happen to be one of those people who like to be surprised. I don’t like to know the ends of books or movies and I never sneak a peek at Christmas or birthday presents. Some of my favorite tv shows are mysteries, such as Midsomer Murder, Castle, Sherlock, and Inspector Lewis.

This is why, last week, when I was trolling around Ravelry, my attention was caught by a Mystery Knit Along. In a mystery knit along, you have no idea what your finished product will look like. You get some basic information, like what kind of yarn you need and how much. Sometimes, you even know what category of thing you are knitting, in this case, a crescent shaped lace shawl. Mystery knit alongs are nothing new. You sign up, usually for a small fee (in this case it was free up to a certain date, which I missed, of course, so I had to pay a few dollars), and at regular intervals, you get clues, which are basically pieces of the pattern. You knit each clue as they come and, hopefully, by the end, you have something beautiful.

I have never done a mystery knit along, but for some reason, I impulsively signed up for this one. Maybe it was because of the designer. I have long admired Susanna IC‘s lace shawls, but have never actually made one. The fact that I had a skein of yarn that was just the right weight and length also helped me along. Also, I was looking around for some new project to start as a reward for a long week of work. Here’s what it looks like so far, with clue #1 completed.

Somehow, I think I will be more motivated to knit on this project, just to see what it is going to look like, in much the same way as a good movie or book compels you to keep reading or watching because you are eager to find out what happens next. It’s a little exciting and a little risky, but more than a little fun, I think. Would you like to join in? You can sign up here.

Clue #2 has just been released. I am really tempted to drop everything I have left to do for the day and go Knit. Right. Now.