Dust of Snow

Description

The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.

“A Dust of Snow” by Robert Frost

Every year, the intention is the same: to have a peaceful, reflective holiday season. One where the whirl of parties, plans, and presents doesn’t take over. And every year, there are days when despite our best efforts, we feel overwhelmed. This spare, gentle poem by the iconic American poet Robert Frost is like a cool hand on your forehead on those days. It’s a reminder that even the most insignificant moment (even something as tiny as a dusting of snow) can be enough to call us back to ourselves and instantly change our experience.

The Dust of Snow Wrap is designed around that idea of peaceful moments in the midst of holiday chaos. Using 24 mini skeins from Advent yarn calendars or your stash of precious scraps, it’s a fun and joyful project that can be made in little pockets of knitting time here and there throughout the season. This cosy wrap is an asymmetrical rectangle shape. It features stripes of chevrons alternating with two pretty lace patterns that are simple enough to stand out even with the wildest yarns. I’ve used fingering weight held double with mohair silk to evoke the lightness of snow and to add extra comfort and snuggly warmth, but you could always just use a fingering weight yarn on its own for a slightly narrower shawl.

ERRATA (now corrected in current version)
in NOTES: To make it wider or narrower, adjust the number of stitches cast on by multiples of 12. (was previously incorrectly stated as multiples of 8)

SIZE
One size

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Length 264cm (104”)
Width 47cm (18.5”)

YARN
Designed to use your Advent mini sets or other minis and left over yarn and is held double with mohair silk lace weight yarn throughout.
The yarn pictured in the sample is:

Herbstblatt Regina from the 2017 Advent set.

AND

Shibui Silk Cloud (60% Mohair, 40% Silk, 302m/330yds per 25g skein) 4 skeins (Silk Cloud in one colour is held double with the fingering weight yarn throughout.)

Colour: Ivory

OR

14g (56m/61 yds) of 24 colours of fingering weight yarn or a total of 336g and 1344m/1464yds.

95g, 1148m/1254yds of mohair silk lace weight yarn

NEEDLES
4.5mm (US 7), 60cm (24”) long circular needles (or size to obtain gauge)

If you wish to omit the mohair silk and just use fingering weight yarn, you can and I would recommend a needle size of 4mm (US 6).

Knitvent 2018 was about the peace and poetry of the holiday season.

This Knitvent, we’ll gather up all the peaceful moments and gentle surprises this time of year can bring. Amid the joyful bustle of holiday parties, shopping, wrapping, planning, and scheming, we’ll make room for rest, reflection, and gratitude. Each of our six mystery patterns will celebrate the peace to be found in little things. The hush of freshly fallen snow. Drowsy forest creatures bedding down for their winter sleep. A frosty evening dreaming in front of the fire with the ones we love best. Quiet moments spent knitting love into every stitch of a special gift.

Knitvent is a beloved holiday tradition for the Curious Handmade community. We combine the hopeful anticipation of an advent calendar countdown with the intrigue of a mystery knit along: over the course of five exciting weeks, six surprise accessory patterns will appear in your Ravelry library. I’ve designed every pattern to be perfect as gifts for the most knit-worthy people in your life…and that includes you!