Creating patterns is a lot like having children; they don’t always come out as you intended, and often wind up being A LOT more trouble than you expected!

The original five-pointed “Curse-breaker” gave me a lot of grief; seems I did more ripping out than I did crocheting to finally get it right. I nicknamed it “the Curs-ed Shawl,” but being a glutton for punishment I told Effie (my test-crocheter, editor, and all-around pattern-pal) that I might want to try it again with seven points. Effie (being typically Effie-ish) said “sure, and why not NINE points?”

At first I thought, “no, that’s ridiculous,” and then (as often happens with Effie’s ideas), it began to grow on me, and then on came the light bulb:

“Hmmm… Curse-breaker… Nine point ?… OH ! ”

And so it came to be called “Curse-breaker 9.0” (note to self: “Effie is always right; listen to Effie…”)

And this child was totally different than the original Curse-breaker. It knew what it was doing; IT led ME down the path instead of fighting me every step of the way. Everything fell into place the way it should, and all I had to do was sit back and yell “HALLELUYAH!” occasionally. Instead of skirting around unlucky 13-loop arches with 12 ½ loops alternatives, 9.0 flaunted its power, marching into 13 loop arches and throwing lucky 7 loop arches back in my face, again and again and again. It was strong, it was brave, it had magic and it wanted to LIVE!

Or maybe it was the yarn…? I had never used Ella Rae Lace Merino before, so maybe anything you make from it will drape like magic, feel both crinkly and soft at the same time, make me love every stitch? I don’t know, but you can bet I will find out…

Photography by Sarah Emily - Modeled by Lyz & Tara