Where can I find a mama that would make a shawl for meÉ

[momtoS]

I would love a one of a kind shawl for an upcoming wedding. only problem I am in Canada and my limit for the shawl would be $40....anyoneÉ

[Kitten]

Do you knit? A shawl would take many, many hours to knit and I would not expect many knitters to take on that sort of project for $40. $40 probably wouldn't even cover the materials.

[Kitten]

You could always try a thrift shop or a vintage store, you might be able to find something one-of-a-kind secondhand.

[Ellp]

What kind of shawl are you interested in?

I agree with the above posters that knitting a full sized shawl takes anywhere from a few days to a few months, depending on how thick the yarn is and how intricate the pattern is. $40 would barely cover fairly cheap materials, and wouldn't include the labour. Can you give us an idea of size, material and intricatecy?

Oh, and another thing, shipping a shawl to you could easily cost at least $10, if not more. I'm basing this on my experience shipping a wool diaper cover (very lightweight) from BC to Ontario. Shipping was $10 something!!

[flapjack]

I can't do a shawl for that: I can offer you a few other alternatives though, that you could possibly do yourself:
1) Go to Dharma, get a silk shawl and some dyes and tie-dye one for yourself. www.dharmatrading.com and for the dye instructions, try www.pburch.net/dyeing - specifically, I'd look for Joyce's directions on crackle dyeing. You'd be looking at around $20-30 USD for this, but you could use the dyes for other projects.

Option 2, for me, would be nuno felting- that is, felting onto a silk shawl. It's not hard to do but would require a greater degree of dexterity and really isn't an obvious first felting project. Roughly similar price bracket to the first.

[iowaorganic]

Originally Posted by flapjack

Option 2, for me, would be nuno felting- that is, felting onto a silk shawl. It's not hard to do but would require a greater degree of dexterity and really isn't an obvious first felting project. Roughly similar price bracket to the first.

there was a great article on this in Living Crafts summer issue (i think?)- you can probably order it from thier website= they were beautiful!

[MeepyCat]

Yes to the mamas who point out that $40 would barely cover materials (or might not cover them at all). Lace projects are time-consuming, and they require careful attention - you can't zone out while knitting lace. The dirty little secret of the knitting mama is that it's cheaper to buy knitwear than it is to make it. We knit because it satisfies us, not because it's an economical alternative to buying stuff.

[iowaorganic]

Originally Posted by MeepyCat

Yes to the mamas who point out that $40 would barely cover materials (or might not cover them at all). Lace projects are time-consuming, and they require careful attention - you can't zone out while knitting lace. The dirty little secret of the knitting mama is that it's cheaper to buy knitwear than it is to make it. We knit because it satisfies us, not because it's an economical alternative to buying stuff.

omg- if my DH realized that I would be in a world of misery! Don't be telling our secrets..... It is the same as quilting..... honey- we need a blanket- can you make one? He has no idea that you can buy a blanket for like $10.

[MeepyCat]

Originally Posted by iowaorganic

omg- if my DH realized that I would be in a world of misery! Don't be telling our secrets..... It is the same as quilting..... honey- we need a blanket- can you make one? He has no idea that you can buy a blanket for like $10.

I promise not to tell your husband. Word of honor.

[flapjack]

I misread that as "word of horror." Must sleep more.