A Shawl to Wear While You’re Reading and Knitting

I know there are a lot of knitters who have to really concentrate on what they are doing and can’t do anything else while they are knitting. In time you can probably graduate to watching TV while knitting, but I’m surprised by how many people are impressed that I can read while knitting and do it often.

(I mean, I can’t read and crochet at the same time yet, so I get it. It takes practice to know where you are without looking and to trust your hands without your eyes there to help. I’m working on it.)

Whether you knit the Book Club Shawl while you’re reading or just to wear while you’re reading and/or knitting in the future, it’s still a fun knit and a cozy shawl for whatever you’re up to.

Designed by Gavriella Treminio, it’s a triangular shawl worked from one corner of the wingspan to the other. It features an I-cord edging and uses simple cables and slipped stitches to make textured horizontal stripes across the body.

The shawl is worked in worsted weight yarn, and while it’s lovely in a neutral that helps the stitching to pop, I think it would be fun in jewel tone yarn as well.

There are options in the pattern to make a shawlette and a bigger shawl. The smaller version has a 53 inch or 132.6 cm wingspan, while the larger version is 78 inches/198 cm across.

The little one is shown here and it looks like a perfect size to throw in your (book) bag to keep it handy to toss around your shoulders when you need an extra bit of warmth. Which is always a good idea, even if you’re not a big reader.

Get more information about the pattern and buy your copy on Ravelry.

[Photo: Gavriella Treminio]

Fall will be here before we know it, and that means there are holidays coming right behind where we might be entertaining at home. It’s always fun to have a hand knit touch in your home for other people to see, and if you’re going to be in the kitchen all day you might as well have some nice knit dish cloths to use.

I love this little plaid hand towel from Darling Jadore. Use a little bit of leftover cotton yarn from another project for the plaid portion. It looks like the horizontal stripes are worked as you knit and the vertical stripes are done with duplicate stitch, making this a quick and easy project even newer knitters can make.

Combine garter stitch and an easy eyelet pattern worked sideways to make the Annette Dish Towel from Cluck Cluck Boots, which is meant to be reminiscent of flour sack towels. It calls for DK weight yarn and you can work it in one color or two (or even three!).

Add a little more texture with this set of kitchen towels from Whileberry Creative. They’re mostly worked in garter stitch with borders in easy knit/purl patterns, and you can work them in sport or worsted weight yarn.

Two of Wands Shop has another cute allover knit and purl pattern they call the Seersucker Textured Tea Towel. It’s an easy repeating pattern worked in worsted weight yarn, and there’s a chart in the pattern you can use, but don’t have to, if you want to practice knitting from a chart.

The Classic Cloth dish towel from Handmade Home by Connie is another one that can use a little leftover yarn in a contrasting color, or you could color block it our use stripes throughout the pattern. This one uses worsted weight yarn and another easy repeating knit purl stitch pattern.

If you like to hang your towel on the oven handle or elsewhere but it’s always falling off, try the Stay Put kitchen towel from Fancy Step Knits. This project is worked in garter stitch and includes a hole partway through so you can pull the towel through itself over a rod or handle. Stripes are optional but a nice addition.

Have you read?