As I mentioned yesterday, It’s a Wrap is the perfect yarn for a shawl yarn. It’s fine, it’s fun, and there are lots of free patterns on the Red Heart website. When I was originally looking for a pattern to go over, I searched for patterns in the It’s a Wrap section and immediately found the Squared Off Shawl. Usually, I like to cross pollinate with yarns and patterns, pairing things up that you wouldn’t normally think to pair. I just loved this pattern so much, I had to do it. The fact that the product photo is done in my favorite colors is totally irrelevant.
The product photo from the Squared Off Shawl pattern.
I know it’s marked as an intermediate pattern, but the steps are not difficult. Don’t let the rating of the pattern fool you, if you take your time and knit the pattern one row at a time, you’ll be fine. I, of course, didn’t take my own advice and read over the pattern first, so it took me a minute to get into the swing of things. Once I did though, the pattern just flowed.
It was a combination of knits and purls to make the squares on the shawl. The texture of the pattern, in tandem with the color blocking of the yarn makes the pattern look more complicated than it is and we all know how much I love that effect.
I simply cannot get enough of these yarn names. Documentary, for the scholar in your life.
The pattern is a steady increase while maintaining that square pattern. That could be why it’s marked as intermediate. You have to be paying attention to creating the pattern and steadily increasing at the same time.
In the first few rows, I will admit, it was a little confusing. Once you figure out the pattern it becomes second nature. The increase is always at the end of a row, if you’re worried about forgetting you can leave a stitch marker in there and always make the increase just before the stitch marker. Easy-peasy! With that reminder, you only have to worry about making the square pattern and changing to decreases at the right time.
The pattern is quite easy and progresses very quickly.
The Squared Shawl pattern is a really fun knit. You’ll have to pay attention to what you’re knitting, but it is easy to read your knitting and remember where you are. If you’re ever lost in the pattern when you try to pick it back up, you can look at the amount of stitches on your needle and know where you’re going from there.
If you’re just getting into lace weight yarn, this is a good place to try it out. If you want to try lace knitting with lace weight yarn, I recommend to start with a heavier yarn weight first and learn to read lace knitting. A yarn like, With Love, or Super Saver would be ideal.
It’s a Wrap is a lovely yarn with acrylic and cotton that will make any garment you knit perfect for summer evenings.
It’s a Wrap really does this pattern justice and vice versa, which makes sense because they were written for one another. If you’re looking for a pattern to try out the It’s a Wrap yarn on, this is an excellent one to choose. There are also hundreds of free patterns on the Red Heart website if you’re looking for something a little different.
This is part 4 of 5 in this series.
Go back to part 3: Knitting with lace, the easy way
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