At the moment, there are only 12 projects for this pattern on Ravelry, which really surprises me. This is a lovely pattern that shows off beautiful yarn to perfection. The yarn I decided to use for this project was Malabrigo Sock in the Aguas colourway. The yarn was from stash and I am so pleased that I found a good match for this lovely stuff.
As I might have mentioned before, Malabrigo Sock is pretty much my favourite yarn and how this project knitted up illustrates exactly why.
This shawl showcases any yarn that is lovely, because of the large sections of stocking stitch. The yarn overs that spiral out from the top of the shawl give enough interest, both when knitting and when wearing, to take the project out of the boring level and into the beautifully simple category.
I did the simple version of this shawl which required me to keep going until I reached a certain percentage of yarn used and then do a section of ribbing, before casting off. I started this project when I needed simplicity and this seemed the most simple option.
As no two skeins of Malabrigo are the same, because of the nature of their dying processes, I alternated skeins every two rows. It wasn't as annoying as you might assume because of the length of most of the rows. I love how alternating skeins also breaks up any pooling you might get with even a softly variegated yarn.
When blocking the shawl, I decided to try threading the blocking wires down the side of every garter ridge along the top of the shawl. I had read about this technique on another blog recently and thought I would give it a try, especially as there were no yarn overs along the top to use, as I normally might. It was time consuming but definitely worth it. The top edge is incredibly taut, crisp and even.
This type of shawl is one I'm fond of. The shape of the elongated semi-circle is ideal for shorter and wider ladies, as the ends will wrap around the body comfortably without having a huge trailing point that you end up sitting on.
As the yarn is light fingering the weight of the shawl is ideal for wearing around the house when it's just a little chilly. It sits well on my shoulders and covers most of my arms. Because it is a light yarn, it will also fold up well enough to be used as a scarf.
I adore this shawl. It is everything I want in a accessory; it is light, it is warm; it is pretty and it is unfussy. I highly recommend it both as a garment and as project. I would happily knit this again, and maybe next time I will be in the mood for doing the slightly more interesting border variation.
