Knit Your First Shawl — It’s a Piece of Cake

There have been many great innovations in the knitting and fiber arts world in the more than 20 (!) years that I’ve been writing about these subjects online. Different fibers and materials and styles of knitting needles and new tools have made knitting more fun and given us plenty to put on our holiday wish lists.

One of my favorite things to come out of the yarn world in recent history is cake yarns. These colorful cakes feature an array of colors (or tones of the same color), which makes it easy to make a project using a single ball that looks more complicated than it is.

And when you combine a cake yarn with a simple design, it’s a big win. Beginners can make projects that automatically look more complicated just because they’re not a solid color, even though it’s no more work on the knitter’s part.

An example of this is the Piece of Cake Shawl from Maria Wellmert. It’s a triangular garter stitch shawl with a slip stitch edging that’s super simple to knit. The hardest part might be remembering to pay attention to how much yarn you’ve used so you can start decreasing when you need to so you don’t run out of yarn before the end of the project.

If you’ve been a reader here for very long you might sense that I’m going to suggest this might be a great stash busting project, too. You can use up a bunch of odd balls and make a wild colored shawl, or pick all the leftovers of a particular color that you have to make a more harmonious design. Or anywhere in between.

If you’re using smaller balls of yarn you might want to make a magic ball before you get started so you don’t have to think about changing yarn as you knit. It’s almost like having a DIY cake of yarn!

You can get the free pattern for the shawl on Ravelry.

[Photo: Maria Wellmert]

Free Knitting Pattern Zig Zag Shawl

One Skein Sock Yarn Shawl Knitting Patterns

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There are certain things that just make sense to knit at this time of year, and market bags are one of them. We tend to use our canvas bags more often in the summer with trips to the farmer’s market and the library, but string bags and market bags are great to use all year.

I love the Three Oranges Bag by Hana Cho, which looks just like a knit version of a plastic shopping bag, but with three cute oranges stitched on. The bag uses intarsia to make the oranges, but you could use duplicate stitch or intarsia to add a different design if you like. It calls for fingering weight yarn and you can find the pattern on Ravelry.

Sharyn Anhalt’s Market Square bag (also on Ravelry) uses worsted weight yarn and a mosaic pattern to make a pretty bag you’ll want to use every time you go shopping. The bag comes in two sizes and is worked in two colors of the same yarn for a fun mixed up effect that’s almost like weaving.

Speaking of fun colors, the Market Bag from Hubbabubbie Art uses a multicolored cake yarn (specifically Lion Brand Mandala) to produce fun color changes without any extra work. This bag is worked from the bottom up with a crocheted bottom and knit mesh sides. It’s a free pattern on Ravelry.

The Pike Place Market Bag from Blue Bird Pine Shop looks like a massive bag to hold all your market goodies (that is a child holding it, but still). The bag calls for worsted weight cotton yarn and the mesh is worked on extra large needles to help it open up to hold everything you want held.

The Knit Farmer’s Market Bag form Design BCB is another good one, made mostly of mes with a little stockinette for extra stability. The base is also worked in stockinette so items you put in it will sit flat.

This mesh bag from Sheep and Stitch doesn’t have a base, and the body is worked flat before being joined in the round to make the top and handles. That makes it easy to make the bag just the size you want because you can stop knitting whenever you feel it’s big enough. The pattern includes a step-by-step video if you need extra assistance.

And the Eco Market String Bag from Mama in a Stitch has a solid knit base worked in a contrasting color from the mesh body. It’s an easy project that comes out a great size for your market needs without being too huge.

Do you have a favorite knit market bag pattern? I’d love to hear about it!

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