Introducing my first shawl pattern for 2017 :: Brightly! What better way to welcome the cold, dark winter season than to knit up a warm shawl using brightly colored yarns that inspire you. Brightly is a symmetrical triangle shawl with garter stitch and ruffle stripes, ending with a simple garter lace border.
The story behind the design process of this shawl is actually kind of funny. I picked up some yarn from my stash almost a year ago to try out some shawl shaping that I had never done before; kind of a mixture between crescent shaping and increasing stitches enough to create a ruffle to the fabric. Well, what I originally tried just wasn’t working – there were FAR too many stitches on my needles, but the fit was very awkward! So I set that shawl down for awhile to think about it and maybe try again later.
Then I started working with Kate from Kate Selene yarns, and she created this amazing new color way on her Merino DK base especially for me to use in a design – Haze. What a beauty!! I knew I wanted to showcase it in a heavier weight shawl for the winter, but wanted to accent it with something bright and fun. Her Emerald City color way pairs perfectly with it, but I wanted something hot and different to accent it in the ruffle stripes. My eyes immediately gravitated towards a skein of Hedgehog Fibres Merino DK in color Jelly that was in my stash – perfect!! I started the shawl thinking that it would be a crescent shape, but it ended up keeping the triangle shape so well! The construction is rather interesting, starting at the bottom tip, and gradually getting larger until binding off at the top. This really surprised me, but that’s what I love about designing so much!
I must admit, I usually always enjoy knitting with bright colors together, but I know not everyone does. This shawl is a great blank canvas for so many combinations of colors. Try mostly neutrals, with a color pop for the lace panel. Or I think even an entirely one color shawl would be amazing, accentuating the textural stripes of the ruffles, garter, and lace.
To celebrate the release of this shawl, receive a 20% discount using coupon code BRIGHT through Friday, January 6!
Thank you for following along, and happy knitting!
