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?
- Aquarelle Shawl$11.00
- Moonrise$11.00
- Fireworks Shawl$10.00