5.20.2007

pattern: clementine shawlette by michele rose orne from interweave knits, spring 2007
for: grandma
yarn: 4 skeins knit picks cotlin in island coral
needles: US size 4 knit picks options

first up: beware of any shawl pattern that doesn't show the back. this shawl is knit in two pieces that are kitchener stitched together at the end. however, this would disrupt the band of garter stitch that borders the entire piece. i really wish this was mentioned in the pattern. luckily, i ran into a finished clementine and didn't like how the two pieces were joined, so i was prepared to spend some time figuring how to make the join look decent.

i'm still not 100% pleased with it, but it's better than my first attempt. what i ended up doing is the opposite of whatever kitchener would normally be (slipping knitwise if the stitch would normally be slipped purlwise and vice versa.) for any stitch that i thought would look better purled. this ended up being the single stitches in between the yarnovers and the garter stitch borders. sounds simple, but i tend to have a hard time getting into a rhythm with kitchener, so this just threw an extra little twist in.

overall, i really like this. i was wary that this might end up a little to small, but a tiny bit of blocking (i blocked the first half before starting the second to check.) took care of that.

the knit picks cotlin is the first yarn with any linen content that i've worked with and it was nice, if a teensy bit rough. after a short soak, the fabric is already softer. i can only assume that it will get softer with wear.