Shawls

Cameo Shawl is an elegant shawl designed by Paulina Popiolek. This shawl was on my wish/to do list for ages. It is a beautiful shawl that I really enjoyed knitting.

I chose 2 colours of Hand Dyed Merino 4ply sock yarn. The first yarn is a gorgeous rich purple/mauve colour and the second contrasting yarn is a soft rust/violet colour combination.[Read More]

Antarktis Shawl designed by Janina Kallio is beautiful. The pattern calls for one skein of your favourite hand dyed fingering weight yarn (100g) although I made a larger shawl and used 200g of sock yarn.

Don’t worry if your shawl looks as small as a napkin at this point. This is one of those projects where blocking really does wonders.

So soak thoroughly & block like you mean it!

The designer used a 3.5mm circular needle but mentions that she is a loose knitter. I did a couple of tension swatches and although, I knew that my tension was going to be too tight using the 3.5mm needle, I just preferred how the knitted fabric looked using this needle size.

Now I knew that no amount of extreme blocking was going to turn this shawl into one that I could wear.
I’m a bit plumper than I really want to be![Read More]

When I read about The Shetland Hap Shawl with Gudrun Johnston, the new Craftsy Class, I just knew that I had found the Shetland Hap Shawl that I wanted to knit. Her pattern for Hansel the half version of the Hap Shawl really appealed to me…

Knitting the Shetland Hap Shawl had been on my wish list for a long time and I’d looked at a few different options.[Read More]

The Color Affection Shawl has been on my wish list for a very long time. It’s so much fun casting on a project that I really want to knit. I love everything about beginning a new project, from choosing the yarn, to swatching and casting on.

I chose 3 skeins of hand-dyed Merino Cashmere Nylon in a gorgeous verdigris green for the main colour, a pale ecru for the first contrast colour and a deep brown as the second contrast colour. The shawl would be fabulous knit using 3 balls of solid-coloured Opal or WYS Signature 4ply sock yarn (we have many beautiful solid colours of sock yarn in the yarn shop).
[Read More]

I wanted a simple and elegant shawl for wearing as a cosy scarf. I find this style of shawl very comfortable and easy to wear. This is a very easy shawl to knit and great for working on while chatting to friends or watching a movie. Just Knit It shawl is a gorgeous shawl pattern designed by Susan Ashcroft aka Stitchnerd Designs. I really love her wonderful easy to wear designs. I knit her beautiful Lightwaves Shawl in May 2013.

It is a couple of years since we have walked through the bluebells. Spring for the last few years has been unseasonably cold and wet in Belfast. When it is cold and wet, the nettles tend to grow more quickly than the bluebells and often hide them before they are in full bloom.[Read More]

My Multistripe Stole is finally finished. I cast on this stole in May 2013 and cast off in early June 2014. I have knit other projects during this time, but it seems strange not seeing the Multistripe Stole’s box sitting beside the sofa, it had been there for so long it had become part of the furniture.

When I cast on it never occurred to me that it would take me over a year to complete the project. I had visualised wearing it draped over my shoulders on cool summer evenings last year.[Read More]

Now and again, I see a project that I just can’t wait to knit, Butterfly Dreams designed by Drops was one of these. I really loved this shawl as soon as I saw it.[Read More]

I loved the Leftie Shawlette as soon as I saw it. I’ve always liked asymmetric shawls and scarves and find them unusual and attractive.

“Leftie is an asymmetrical shawlette that was designed to show off your favourite little leftovers. The stripes will swirl around your neck in a very flattering way, and the cute tiny leaves are the perfect way to make your favourite colours shine.” Martina Behm

If you are looking for an enjoyable project that you will zip through this may be the one. It is a wonderful choice for a warm shawlette to keep you warm through the cold weather.

I had been waiting for the perfect project to use my precious skein of Wollmeise residing in my stash. I used all of the 150g of the navy yarn knitting Leftie.[Read More]

I first came across Chadwick while watching Shawlscapes on Craftsy. I loved Shawlscapes. So much fun to watch. Informative and entertaining with some very very funny moments – yes that headstand! Chadwick is one of Stephen West’s beautiful shawl patterns.

So I did what we all do when initially bitten by the inspiration bug. Opened Ravelry and searched for Chadwick. A few minutes later I was printing out the pattern. Yes, the enablers at Ravelry make buying a new pattern just soooooooo easy![Read More]

What happens when a new Kaffe Fassett book arrives in your house? If you are anything like me everything stops while you look through the new book.

Inspiration Strikes

It’s impossible not to be inspired by the beautiful photographs and vibrant colour choices. By page 15 of “Knitting with the Colour Guys” by Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably, I was ensnared when I looked at the Multistripe Stole. These guys are masters at styling their knitwear. The knitting becomes a piece of art elegantly draped across a chair.[Read More]