The very lovely @pottermouth sent me a gift certificate to Webs last year, and I decided to use the gift in the spirit it was intended, as a gift for myself. So I used it to pick up some fancy yarn I wouldn’t normally allow myself to buy. This is the result. The pattern is called the It’s Shawl Good Cardigan, by Ashlea of Heart Hook Home. It’s based off a traditional triangular crocheted shawl, but with the addition of sleeves. One of the things I love about the pattern is that it comes from size XXS to 6X, so there’s a size for everyone. Also, she writes out each size, rather than just have adjustments in brackets, so you know you’re following the right directions for your project.
The yarn is Noro Nishiki, in color Aurora; a mostly purple yarn, mixed with black, violet, pink, and very deep teal. It’s a blend of 70% cotton, and 30% nylon. The drape is fantastic, and it has warmth and substance, without being bulky.
I started the project in September, and was nearly done, when I ran out of yarn. Seriously, I had 1.5 rows, and the fringe left to do! So I ordered another skein, and while waiting for it to arrive, I got focused on crafting holiday gifts. Once those were all done, I went back and finished this, just before the end of the year. Don’t you just love finishing older projects before New Year’s?
It can be worn open, or you can add a button or hook at the center front. I took the opportunity to use a button I’ve been hoarding in my stash for ages, waiting for just the right project. An awesome black metal skull, that I found in the clearance bin at Joanns a few years ago. Because it is based on a traditional triangle shawl design, it is naturally shorter in front, and longer in the back, coming to a point at the center back hem. While I did this with a rather randomly colored yarn, there are numerous examples on ravelry using a long gradient yarn, like Mandala, to get beautiful bands of color.
