New Pattern: Kelp Garden

Wooooo! It's that magical time of year again: Stitches West is upon us. And that means days of glorious shopping for yarns, finding inspiration in new designs and basically going mad with yarn-y knitting goodness!

This year I was honored, again, by being asked to design something new for the lovely gals of The Yarnover Truck, featuring a new and exclusive colorway from Yarn Love. And what's more? It gets to be a DK weight design. Me. Likey!

The Kelp Garden pattern will be available at The Yarnover Truck, booth 1048 at Stitches West, along with the exclusive colorway, Beneath the Waves from Yarn Love or right here on my website (and Ravelry, of course). 

KELP GARDEN

This fully reversible brioche shawl takes me back to my first trip kayaking off the shores of La Jolla, California: one side of this shawl makes me think of the kelp with it’s bulbs (top image), some of which would wash up on the shore; and the reverse side is reminiscent of the path of bubbles that would rise to the surface as I moved my paddle through the water (middle image).

The shawl comes in two sizes: the "smaller", which still generously wraps around the shoulders, has tassels at each of the 3 points. The larger uses up that extra yardage to create more size (see comparison in the bottom image). And although brioche is already considered a reversible fabric, the brioche lace is worked on what would traditionally be considered the wrong side of the shawl. In so doing, shaping on the right side and wrong side of the work creates a unique design on each side of the shawl - a truly 2 for 1 shawl!

MATERIALS

  • Yarn Love Amy March DK (DK weight; 100% superwash merino; 280 yds/ 256 m per 4 oz/113g), 1 skein each:
    • Color A: Black Coffee (Moonrise Beach)
    • Color B: Beneath the Waves (20,000 Leagues)

  • US 8 (5 mm) 32” circular needle (or preferred length)

  • Row Counter (optional)

  • Tapestry needle

  • Sharp scissors (for tassel-making, size Small only)

FINISHED DIMENSIONS

58 (64)” / 147 (163) cm wingspan x 20 (23)” / 51 (58) cm deep

PROJECT GAUGE

12 sts and 17 rows = 4” / 10 cm in even 2-color brioche worked flat, taken after blocking

NOTES

  • This shawl is constructed in a triangular shape and worked flat, from the center-top. Written and charted instructions are provided for the entirety of the shawl following the Setup Rows.
  • Due to this shawl being designed to use up the entirety of each skein of yarn, if you do not have additional skeins with which to swatch, you can begin your project and take a pre-blocked gauge on the even 2-color brioche section at the beginning of the shawl to be sure you’re on track. If not, I recommend changing needle size to match gauge and re-starting the project.
    • The pre-blocked gauge is: 17.5 sts & 24 rows = 4” / 10 cm in even 2-color brioche worked flat.

  • In 2-color brioche, worked flat, each row is worked 2 times before turning the work to the opposite side. When you complete an “a” row, instead of turning your work, you will SLIDE the sts back to the beginning of the needle and work a “b” row. Only after completing a “b” row will you TURN your work and knit the other side of the project.

  • Although gauge is not critical for this project, a looser gauge than noted will result in the use of more yardage.

  • The instructions provided are for two sizes of shawl - the smaller of which is designed to have tassels attached to the 3 points. Instructions are provided for the smallest size first, and the larger size in parenthesis. If only one set of instructions is provided, it applies to both sizes of shawl.

  • The brioche lace used in this shawl is courtesy of Nancy Marchant in her resource book: Knitting Fresh Brioche.

  • Both sizes of this shawl have been test knit for accuracy.

  • Written and video tutorial links are provided for many techniques in this shawl, including brioche and tassel making.

Meaghan Schmaltz2018, brioche, new pattern, shawlComment