Pogona - or: gummy bear hugs

Casting on

 You may recall my everlasting love, my true dedication and complete devotion to my skein of Bugga! in the Wandering Glider colorway.
My One True Love had to become something special. No lingering longingly in the stash until the perfect project came along. No, this affair had to be consumed right now.

I knew I wanted to keem my OTL close to me. Around my neck and face, preferably.

the color of gummy bears

A hat then? No, then my hair would be between me and my OTL. Although I chould shave my head...
But no.
Some kind of scarf then?
Yes, a huggy, buggy scarf. But what kind? A traditional, long and skinny rectangle, wrapped around the neck once or twice, then the ends tossed into the wind, free to snag on anyone or anything? To get caught and perhaps be my demise?

in progress, not abandoned

Not likely.
How about a cowl then? I could keep my OTL close to me, hide it away under coats and jackets, like a scarf permanently tucked around me.
Frankly, Melbourne is not cold enough to warrant a cowl for much of the year.
What's left? What displays a luxurious yarn perfectly while still being light and airy or warm and comforting as the opportunity requires?

finished, but scrunched on the needles

Yes. My OTL could not become anything other than a wonderful shawl.
With a color reminiscent of gummy bears and a softness so sublime, I wanted the pattern to be simple. not open and lacy, but smooth and continuous. Something graphical. Something that would be bold in its simplicity.
Bold, simple, geometric shawls.

finished, unblocked

Yep. I heard it around the podcast world. Stephen West was the person to look to.
It wasn't a hard decision. My OTL was going to transform into a Pogona, an iconic shawl with an interesting construction.
It would give me drape when worn as a shawl, but it would also be practical enough to be a scarfy/cowly warm hug when needed. Perfect.

blocking

The knitting went well at first. The rows are short, and the placement of stitch markers makes the work flow easily without being mind-numbingly boring.
I adored working with my OTL just as much as I thought I would.
But then stuff got in the way (okay, Nerd Wars got in the way), and as the rows got longer, my Huggy Buggy Sunshine saw less and less love.
Also, it turned spring.

But I really love this pattern and this yarn, so when Nerd Wars Round 3 had a challenge involving finishing your WIPs (hilariously entitled Fermat's Last Theorem), I knew this was going to be Pogona-time.
I put all other knitting aside as I powered through rows of 400+ stitches.
And I finished it.
My first shawl! Glorious.
It already looked good, but I knew blocking would make it look great.
Time for a bath.
Ooooh yes.
I thought this yarn was soft and luscious before, but after a relaxing soak (in Soak), my One True Love bloomed and blushed and became so soft and drapey and wonderful!
I pinned it lovingly, and it is now the most wonderful shawly creation you could imagine.
Shame it's scorching summer weather here right now, and I won't get to wear this beautiful creation until I travel in a few months' time.

Huggy Buggy Sunshine Pogona

 One true love yarn. One love pattern. One perfect match shawl. What more could a knitter ask for?