Knit a Shawl with a Quilt-Styled Star

I was just talking the other day about my love for quilt inspired knitting projects, and then another one came upon my screen: the Clint pattern from Natasja Hornby.

This large boomerang shawl calls for sport weight yarn in four colors, though you could use heavier yarn and make it even bigger. It’s already plenty large, though, at 75 inches/190 cm across the top of the triangle and 23.5 inches/60 cm deep.

The pattern begins with the modular colorwork star design that makes up the center back of the shawl. The blocks are worked individually and attached to each other seamlessly as you knit. They’re bias knit squares worked in garter stitch, and there’s a video tutorial showing how to join them together.

Once the star portion has been worked, you pick up stitches for the upper and lower parts of the center block, then for the sides. The top edge of the shawl is finished with an attached I-cord, while stitches are picked up along the bottom sides to work the scalloped edging.

There’s a lot going on in this project but at the same time the finished shawl looks simple somehow. Maybe it’s the rustic color choices and the simplicity of the garter stitch squares that gives a sort of feeling of ease to the look.

One of the projects on Ravelry says that nothing about the shawl was hard, but it was interesting, and I think that’s what I mean, too, is that it’s interesting but also has an ease about it, like it’s quite natural that it turned out the way it turned out. Which I know as a designer is actually a hard thing to do!

The designer describes it as rhythmic and soothing as well as engaging and fun because of the modular design. I think all of that is true, too. It just looks like it would be a lot of fun to knit and to wear.

Learn more and get a copy of the pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Natasja Hornby]

When my daughter was in early elementary school we were at Joann together (RIP) and she picked out some variegated pink and white blanket yarn for me to knit a blanket for her bed. Now probably 10 years later, it’s one of her favorite possessions. I note this because the blankets we give to little ones might seem simple on the surface, like something they need to keep warm, but they can turn into so much more.

Take the Pocketful of Love Blanket from Purl Soho. On the surface this is a pretty but also easy to knit blanket for a little one. It’s worked in garter stitch stripes using sport weight yarn (the sample is a superwash wool, but this would also be nice in cotton or a blend) and available in a crib or small throw size. Though of course because it’s garter stitch, it’s pretty easy to make it any size you want.

But what makes this blanket extra special is the little details. The slip stitch selvedges and I-cord bind off give it a crisp look that’s perfect with the garter stitch of the body.

And then there’s the pocket.

This is a big pocket. At 10 inches wide and 12.25 inches tall (that’s 25.4 by 31 cm) for the crib size and 12.75 by 14.25 inches (32.4 by 36 cm) for the throw, you can easily fit a favorite stuffed animal, toy or book into the pocket.

I love how even though it uses the same striped garter stitch pattern as the blanket, it’s stitched down so the stripes run the opposite way (horizontal when the blanket stripes are vertical), though of course you can match stripes if you’d rather.

I think this blanket has the potential to be greatly loved by the little one its given to, and by the knitter look for an easy, pretty baby blanket with a little extra useful twist.

Grab the free pattern from Purl Soho.

[Photo: Purl Soho]

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