Shake Up Your Shawls

There’s a lot to love about a hand knit shawl. 

Besides the fact that shawls are generally pretty quick to knit (and easy to wear throughout the year), one of their super powers is that you can *almost* completely ignore gauge. 

Technically – even if it’s only deep down – I know you already know this.

But how often do you really shake up your shawls by taking a complete gauge detour? 

• Knit a worsted weight shawl in sport or fingering weight yarn
• Knit a fingering weight shawl in worsted weight
• Mix and match stash yarn in a variety of different weights to add creative texture and color to a simple pattern
• Knit a 3-color shawl in three completely different kinds of yarn (even different weights)
• Throw a strand of mohair or skinny boucle in with another yarn for part of the shawl – but don’t feel you have to use it throughout. Sometimes a strategic pop of texture can be the perfect twist for a hand knit shawl 
• Use leftover yarn to add a pop of color to the cast-on or bind-off edge
• Turn a one-color shawl into a multi-color shawl by knitting it only with minis

What if your gauge change makes a difference in the finished size? It will. And sometimes it’ll be a big difference. The great thing about shawls is that you can often repeat a simple section to add more fabric if it seems a bit small. On the flip side, you can stop sooner if your shawl is growing beyond a size you’ll feel comfortable wearing. 

If you have the urge to test your creative chops, test them out in a shawl. It’s an easy way to experiment with color, texture and yarn weight. In the end, even if it’s a bit crazy, you can still wear it.

In fact, the more creative you get with your experimentation, the more interesting your shawl will be. 

Your challenge: Take a shawl pattern you already have – maybe even one you’ve already made, and turn the rules upside down. 

Need some pattern ideas?