THE YARN
I’ve been trying to get through my yarn bin! Do you ever just end up with a bunch of yarn that you hoard over the years? Yep, that’s me. I had a bunch of this Mineral Heather Wool of the Andes yarn from ages ago. I have to say, this has always been my favorite yarn, but I’m pretty impressed that after all this time, it’s still soft and sturdy. I, of course, had to order more to finish this, but I had enough to get a pretty decent start on this project.
THE PATTERN
I used this pattern from Knit Picks. I bought their whole “Woodsmoke” collection of patterns. I was really drawn to the collection after working with their Celtic collection. This collection is a bit more updated and already I’m loving all the patterns in it! So…some notes!
- This is a pretty simple shawl to knit. I think it makes an absolutely gorgeous scarf and perfect for the fall/winter months! It uses a standard size 8 US needles, which is a pair I think every knitter should have.
- There was a blip in my version where it had you knitting the pattern one too many times. I’m glad I didn’t go through with the last round of the pattern, otherwise, I would’ve ran out of yarn! I think they fixed this in the newer version, so if you buy it now, there shouldn’t be any errors.
- I definitely think the tassels add tremendously to the shawl/scarf. I used an entire skein just for the tassels. They did take awhile, but I wouldn’t wear this any other way. After I finished tying the tassels, I pressed them down flat and trimmed them so they were mostly even. It makes a huge difference.
- For reference, I’m 5’4″. With the tassels, this shawl/scarf hits mid-shin. Without, it hits just below the knee/mid-knee. So, it’s definitely a cozy piece!
FINAL NOTES
Are you satisfied with the outcome? Absolutely! I may go back and make this shawl/scarf in a couple different colors because it’s such a versatile staple.
Would you recommend this pattern? Definitely. You can find it here. I think this is a “bargain” pattern: one that you will use over and over and that is cheap to make, but the final result does not look cheap at all.
How long did this take you? This took me about a month. I had lots of other projects going on and times when I had to stall on knitting altogether. If someone did this without all the pauses and breaks, it’d probably take them under a week.
What skill level is required? I would say this is beginner to intermediate. You definitely want to have done cables before. However, once you get the pattern down, it’s pretty simple.
Any other notes? I’m really looking forward to trying out some of the other patterns from Woodsmoke. I love the patterns KnitPicks because they’re simple and stunning.
Maybe I will have to buy one for my mother if she likes it. How long do it take you?
Hi there! I took me about a month while working full-time and doing a bunch of other side stuff, but you could easily do this in a week. Once you get the pattern down, it’s easy going from there!