Maker's Note - Mayhem Shawl by Åsa Tricosa
Meeting up with knitters at festivals and events, I'm often asked to share my experience and opinions about the garments and knitting patterns we feature. Today's Maker's Note is about Mayhem Shawl by Åsa Tricosa.
Why I loved making it …
Knitting MAYHEM was a knit I looked forward to working on every day until it was complete. Starting with Åsa’s signature shawl tab cast-on, I was intrigued with how the initial construction would develop into a crescent shape. After that mystery unfolded, I enjoyed the easy-to-follow textured pattern. The border pattern was completed with a larger size needle and beautifully mimics the top edge. The pattern is extremely well done. There are charts as well as written instructions to meet each knitter’s preference.
“Watch Outs”
Slipped Stitches - To create a beautiful top edge, the first stitch for every row is slipped instead of knit/purled. If, like me, you are someone who remembers to slip MOST of the first stitches, rest assured that your edge will still be beautiful if you miss a few here and there. If you’d rather not remember to slip the stitches, the resulting edge will be just fine.
Can you knit this? Skills You'll Use and Helpful Hints
There are 4 skills you may not know that are used for this shawl. The great news is that Åsa provides links on her website to easy-to-follow tutorials including written directions and great photos. These include the Winding Provisional Cast On, Åsa’s Amazing Tab Cast On, Make 1 Left and Right for both knit and purl stitches and a Stretchy Bind Off. If the idea of learning or honing these techniques sounds exciting, this pattern is for you!
Why Crave Caravan?
Caravan by Crave Yarn is an excellent yarn for textural projects where stitch definition is important. Caravan has a firm twist that gives stitches a round, prominent shape with virtually no "halo" or fuzziness from the fibers. We selected a lighter color - Atmosphere - to make it even easier to see and appreciate the texture in the fabric.