OhSewCrafty Blog

• Pattern: by Becky Herrick, available via Ravelry
• Yarn: Fibratura Sensational (wool), “Leek”, 430 yards
• Size/Needles/Gauge: As written, 4.25 spi on US 8’s
• Time to knit: 2 weeks in March 2012

I wanted to cast something green in March for St. Patrick’s Day.  Alas, I did not finish quite by then, but close enough!

The pattern is fine, written in a clear, pithy manner than I appreciate.  It’s mostly charted. You begin at the center of the base with a provisional cast on, work the cables out to one edge, then pick up stitches from your cast on and work out the cables to the other end.  I even learned a new trick, invisble provisional cast on with waste yarn.  I normally like to use the crochet method, but I didn’t have a hook handy at the time. There is short row shaping to create the rounded bottom, but those are placed strategically (ie, no cabling while short-rowing).  Then you pick up stitches from the top edge and work the stockinette, with an ever increasing number of stitches each row.  It’s a lot of stockinette which is either relaxing or boring depending on one’s perspective.  The first few rows are annoying, where you have to count large numbers of stitches.  I suppose I zoned out a bit while working the stockinette, and my edges were a bit uneven, towards the end.  I fixed that problem simply by working my turns either sooner or later.  (Hint: the “unworked” stitches on your needle should always be a multiple of 4 plus 1 extra, and the number of unworked stitches on each side should be equal after each RS row).  The top of the shawl is finished with an applied i-cord.  While not the fastest way to bind off, it does create a nice edge.

Fibrnatura Sensational is 100% superwash merino made in Turkey; I got this batch from Webs on closeout, specifically for this project.  It’s very soft, with round, springy four ply construction.  The fabric is warm, soft and feels great against the skin.  The color, a light spring green, is pretty and understated.  The yarn relaxes a lot when blocking, as is typical of superwash.  Superwash isn’t my favorite and I don’t often knit at this gauge, but I’m happy with its performance for this project,  However, if I were knitting the pattern again, I’d want something more rustic and definitely something that would spit-splice.

I love the Celtic knot cables and the luxurious wingspan of this shawl.  The short row shaping makes it perfect to wrap around the shoulders, but the size is even sufficient to cover the head and neck as as a hooded scarf.  I have worn it that way, in a misty rain.  The muted green is perfect for St. Patrick’s day and celebrating one’s Irish heritage.  Spring came early this year, but it’s still great for a little extra warmth in in a cool breeze.