These hints are ever-so-slightly spoilery but no more than they need to be to help you choose your yarn.
This is a four-colour shawl calling for four skeins of fingering-weight yarn, but I’ve also created a single-colour option which only needs three skeins.
The original four-colour design is colour blocked, but there are lots of options to play, whether you want to go for tones of the same colour, strong contrasts, or gentle shifts. All will work
There is lace in the design, so it is especially suited to solid or tonal colourways that won’t obscure the stitch pattern. But if your heart desires speckles or wild variegation, go for it! The most beautiful and useful shawl is the one that makes YOU happy, so follow your own creative inspiration.
The sample yarn
Circus Tonic Handmade Gathering Cashmere Sock
80% superwash merino, 10% cashmere, 10% nylon; 365m/399yds per 100g skein
4 x 100g skeins for 4 colour shawl or 3 x 100g skeins for one colour shawl.
Sample 1:
Colour A: 1 skein Barcaldine (Plum)
Colour B: 1 skein Windorah (Pale Gold)
Colour C: 1 skein Longreach (Pink)
Colour D: 1 skein Winton (Orange)
OR
240g of fingering weight yarn totalling approximately 876m/958yds
Sample used:
Colour A: 55g (201m/220yds)
Colour B: 65g (238m/260yds)
Colour C: 70g (256m/280yds)
Colour D: 50g (183m/200yds)
Needles
4mm (US 6), 100cm (40”) long circular needles (or size to obtain gauge)
Notions
Tapestry needle
Gauge
18 sts/32 rows = 10cm (4”) in stockinette stitch after blocking
Irresistible yarn from Circus Tonic Handmade
I’ve been a big fan of Circus Tonic Handmade Yarn even before I moved back to Australia. My lovely friend Hannah has such a way with colour: always so inspiring.
It’s always such a joy to knit with Circus Tonic Handmade, and the yarn I used for this new pattern, her Gathering Cashmere sock base, is the perfect blend of softness and strength. It’s got lovely stitch definition and beautifully tonal, saturated shades.
Hannah has kits for the four colour shawl and the one colour shawl on her website now. As a handmade business, quantities are limited: so if you’re as in love with this yarn as I am, I’d snatch one up ASAP. But if they sell out, don’t worry: she’ll put up a preorder for us. You’ll just have to wait a little longer for her to dye more yummy yarn.
Get your four colour yarn kit here
Grab a one colour yarn kit here
And of course (as always) there’s never any pressure to use the sample yarn: I just love sharing the yarn-love with you. Stash diving and local shopping will always be encouraged in the Curious Crew!
Grab your kit now on the Circus Tonic Handmade website!
I’m so thrilled to be heading into a new MKAL adventure with you. It won’t be long now before I can reveal the inspiration behind the design.
But for now, I hope this is enough to get you daydreaming and yarn pondering…really the best bit!
