A Shawl to Knit to Get through the Current Calamity

I generally write most posts for Craft Gossip several weeks in advance of when they go live, so I’m writing this not knowing what calamitous events might be happening in the world or in your life when you read it. But I can pretty safely assume, given the current timeline, that something will be happening to stress you out, and you might just need the calm of some straightforward knitting and a super pretty project that doesn’t take a whole lot of thought.

Corin Purifoyis here for you in the form of their Calamity Shawl, a simple triangle worked in Andalusian stitch (a simple knit and purl combo that I don’t think gets used enough) along with some eyelets, mesh and it looks like a bit of garter stitch, too.

It’s meant to be worked holding two strands of super fine yarn together, but you can also use a worsted weight yarn by itself, or really whatever weight you want since it’s a triangle, you can just make it whatever size you want or work until you’re about to run out of yarn.

The pattern starts with a garter tab, which is a fun little technique that’s super clever.

The original includes tassels at the points of the triangle, which adds a bit of weight that might help it stay in place, but they’re totally optional. You could also add fringe, or just leave it plain.

This great little bit of comfort knitting will also wrap you up in warmth and comfort when the knitting is done, so you’ll be able to face whatever the world throws at you next with a little more ease. And you can wear it with anything, as a shawl or a scarf, so you’re sure to grab it on your way out of the house again and again.

You can find this pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Corin Purifoyis]

Another Great Simple Shawl to Stitch

Knit a Lace Shawl for Cooler Weather

Any time of year is a good time for stash busting, but if you can combine it with knitting a blanket that will keep you warm when it (finally!) gets cooler that’s even better. Let’s take a look at some fun patchwork blanket knitting patterns.

If you want to keep it super simple, you can just make blocks of garter stitch and sew them together, like the beginner’s patchwork baby blanket from Mini Baa Baa or the color block blanket from Make and Do Crew. Both projects are worked in strips and sew together, with the baby version calling for two strands of DK or light worsted weight yarn held together and the larger one using bulky yarn.

Add a little more texture with the mixed blocks of the cottage quilt throw from Mama in a Stitch. This one combines garter stitch and seed stitch and uses worsted weight yarn. She used a crochet join to make the chains on top of the blocks, but you can join them however you like. It calls for eight colors but you can use what you have, and there are three size options.

Get a real sampler style patchwork blanket with this design from Knit Sew Make. It calls for worsted weight yarn and has four size options. All of the patterns just use knit and purl stitches so this one is still pretty easy for beginners.

If you want a more complex colorwork project that will keep you entertained all season, try the Peace by Piece blanket pattern from Needle and Feather. This one is made up of two color colorwork blocks and calls for worsted weight yarn. You can choose to use just a few of the blocks and repeat them more often, or make multiples of the whole set.

The knitted patchwork recipe from Martine Ellis (free on Ravelry) uses mitered squares in fingering weight yarn, so it’s perfect for using up all your leftover sock yarn and mini skeins. This one is a tutorial more than a pattern so you can make your blanket as big as you like or keep going until you run out of yarn.

Susan B. Anderson’s 100 Squares blanket (find it on Ravelry) has a lot of mitered squares, too, but they’re arranged in fun ways and includes some quilt inspired designs as well. This one also is a bit of method more than pattern but it sure looks like a lot of fun for using all the leftovers.

Of course you can totally improvise a patchwork blanket using the yarn and stitches you like, but I hope these patterns inspire you to look at your leftover yarn in a new way.

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