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Shawls!

May 21, 2009 by Terrye

I love shawls, they’re so… I don’t know, lacy I guess. And pretty. And soooo not me. If a shawl were to be useful to me it would have to be made from heavy yarn (aran styling comes to mind) with none of the little holes that make it lacy and pretty. This is my lifestyle, when I’m outside and needing a shawl it’s to keep warm, not to keep the delicate spring/summer breezes off of my tender skin!

Not to say that if you wear shawls, you’re delicate, not at all, it’s just not for me, but I do love to look at them. They are pretty, especially with beads – I do like the bling factor.

Here’s one that caught my eye (I like pink, salmon and similar colors…)shawl1. It’s from Maia Spins, here: http://maiaspins.typepad.com/maiaspins/2009/05/aeolian-finished.html

So if I were going to make a shawl for myself just for decorative purposes it would be something similar. It would be long and lacy and the pink is pretty too. Also beads. Yeah, gotta have the bling!

 

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Looking for more amazing shawl patterns? Check out these Knitting patterns we found on Etsy.

Next Pattern:

  • Everyday Wraps: Colorful Knitted Shawls
  • Book Review: 50 Knitted Wraps and Shawls
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Comments

  1. Joy says

    May 24, 2009 at 7:57 am

    I am a shawl ADDICT. I haven’t done a huge, full-sized shawl yet, but the little scarf-shawlettes like Swallowtail are perfect for me. When there’s just a little chill in the air, I throw it on to keep me warm and stylish. Plus, shawlettes get bound off just about the time I’m getting bored with the project 😉 I can’t stand 500-stitch rows.

Have you read?

Book Review: No Fear Sock Knitting

I feel like when it comes to things that people are afraid to knit, socks probably top the list. I’ve heard people say they would never knit socks because they look too hard, but really you just need to know a few basic things (and trust the pattern even though it sounds wrong the first time you do it) to master socks. 

Denise DeSantis aims to take the worry out of knitting socks with No Fear Sock Knitting. Based on a class on her YouTube channel, it includes all the basic information you need to make sock knitting feel easier, along with eight patterns for both top down and toe up socks. 

The book generally covers types of needles and yarn you might use to knit socks, as well as other supplies you will need. It looks at the parts of the sock, different knitting needle configurations used to knit socks, how to read a pattern (including abbreviations and terms you might find in sock patterns), discussion of ease, how to measure your foot and choosing the correct size to knit.

It includes two options each for casting on cuff down and toe up socks, as well as four options for cuff treatment. It explores the heel flap and turn method for top down and toe up socks, as well as short row heels using a shadow wrap (worked with a leg from the stitch below) and a square heel. There’s a discussion of avoiding holes and fixing other problems in heels.

Likewise with toes there are several options, including a wedge toe, round toe and anatomical toe (different on each foot) for both cuff down and toe up socks. There are also tutorials for grafting and Jeny’s surprisingly stretchy bind off, depending on which direction you’re going. There’s also a tips section that covers things like avoiding ladders, changing colors. matching stripes and more. 

After all that preparation, there are eight patterns to choose from: short socks worked from the top down that are a perfect first-sock sock, a basic ankle-length toe-up sock, a DK weight sock worked from the top down with different length options, a “vanilla” sock with a short row heel worked top down, an ankle sock with a garter stitch cuff, one with a leg worked in alternating colors with a contrasting heel and toe, a sock worked in a helical stripe pattern and a striped sock with a garter stitch heel. 

Three of the patterns are rated at skill level two on a scale of three, while the rest are level one. They’re all pretty straightforward, they just use different techniques you might not have tried before. Since only one is made to be toe up, there are also tips for converting the other patterns to toe up if you’d rather work that way. Each pattern includes three size options. 

This book is a nice introduction to sock knitting, with lots of techniques to reference and simple patterns to take the fear out of the process. I’m not sure these are patterns you’ll come back to time and again but they are a good place to start if you’ve never knit socks before. 

About the book: 128 pages, paperback, 8 patterns. Published 2025 by David & Charles. Suggested retail price $24.99.

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