(Fiona) Like thousands of others I took part in Ysolda Teague's first mystery knit along - Follow Your Arrow. A shawl pattern. If you want to maintain the mystery please stop reading now. This article has photos of the finished shawl!
The knit along started in January and a new clue was released every week for 5 weeks.
Within each clue you had a choice of 2 options (A or B).
There is a group on Ravelry with lots of in progress and finished photos of all the different combinations of clues.
I choose to do the following combination - ABBBB. I also used two colours.
Whilst following the mystery knit along you have no idea what is coming next (unless of course you wait a few days and see the spoiler photos on Ravelry!). So you've little idea how your shawl will turn out... I based my decisions on how I was feeling at the time... So I did the simpler option for some clues and the more complicated option for others. I choose the 'kite' shaped clue to start with as I've never tried that before.
Ysolda offers lots of advice in the pattern and in the Ravelry group - with video tutorials for the more uncommon techniques). There is also advice for yardage requirements (which I appeared to have ignored as I ran out of yarn!). The stitch patterns are both written and charted.
You can still buy the pattern on Ravelry in its knit along format - so you can download each clue as you need to.
My finished shawl looks like this...
I LOVED the knit along format - waiting for the new clue each Monday was exciting as well as watching for the 'spoiler' photos to appear on the Ravelry group. I managed to complete each clue within the week, except for the last one which took me 4 weeks!*
This is the first large 4ply shawl I have made - and it is a size that I like alot. I will definitely be making more shawls this size.
It is also the first 2 coloured shawl I have made, and I will try that again too.
I also liked the knitted on edging - my first time doing one, although it took me ages, and it felt never ending...
However, I'm less happy with my choice of yarn - the dark charcoal alpaca I choose from my stash is too hairy and I feel some of the stitch definition of that knitted on edge is lost. It would have been better using black Artesano Definition (like I used for the grey).
I'm also not sure of my combinations... I wouldn't have chosen to knit this shawl if presented in its final form - I would have been more likely to knit the semi-circle shaped combinations. It's abit too eclectic for my personal taste.
BUT having said that - I am so pleased I knitted it! And with its large size you can easily tie it around your neck and all the different sections contrast so well.
I've already picked out a few combinations for my next Follow Your Arrow....
I've already picked out a few combinations for my next Follow Your Arrow....
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