The Love of Shawls

If you don't like to make sweaters because you don't want to worry about shaping and the fit, then enter the world of shawls. They are wonderful items to make since they come in such an array of shapes and sizes. It is a different type of shaping and they can fit naturally if done correctly and to know how to wear it helps. Some shawls look better as a neck wrap hanging loosly in front and others hug the body like a blanket. Shawls are one of my favorite item to knit and/or crochet. There are so many beautiful designs today. But the way my time is at this moment I really don't want patterns that are too intricate. But I still want to see some design and a different shape to work with.

Now that I am back with my blog this will help me dig deep into the past to see what I can find to pick up again. I did go through my UFO's of shawls and found three that I need to get back to. I really love the patterns but a new project got in the way. I think it was that I didn't have to think that much on the other projects I started so the shawls went on the back burner.

My favorite crochet shawls are ones with pinapples. You can see what I made through Instagram or click on the link to see my projects on the right hand side. I loved looking at the pineapples on a doily. You know those that your grandmother or great-grandmother would make with those steel crochet hooks. No thanks. But now-a-days designers are coming up with beautiful patterns using the pineapple stitch so I jumped in on making a couple.

When I pick out a project I like to see what I will learn from each pattern I work on. With shawls it has been a host of learning and keeping my skills fresh. It's not that I don't know how to yarn over or knit two together but it is the combination of them and other ways of shaping the shawls that fascinate me. The combination of techniques can truly bring out some beautiful shapes and designs.

Since I knit and crochet I work with shapes across the board and different techniques which makes it so interesting. So I would encourage that the next project you pick out that you ask yourself what would you be learning from that project. This would give you an opportunity to grow more in the world of knit and crochet.

One thing you must do depending upon the shawl is look it over to see if it needs to be blocked. You can see from my picture of the three UFO shawls I could not go without blocking them. Right now two of them look all shriveled up and to be brought alive by blocking. You are doing your work an injustice if the stitch pattern needs to be brought alive and that is what blocking does. I have crochet shawls that didn't need to be blocked and I was able to use acrylic yarns on a couple. But if it especially needs to be blocked then I use a yarn that is mostly wool. It is amazing what blocking does to a lace shawl.

The first shawl from my UFO treasures from left to right is called 'On the Spice Market'. Two main technique in this shawl are slip stitches and German shortrows. The second shawl is the 'Estuary Shawl'. The third shawl is called 'Downtown Line' uses regular wraps and turns to make the beautiful design. Alot of make one's which I'm not always in the mood to do. I love how the pattern switches the main color to be the contrasting color which gives that different look.