New Knitting Pattern - KATRIEL Shawl

Hi everyone, I'm very happy to announce the release of my newest knitting pattern - the Katriel shawl!

This pattern is part of a shawl duo I designed last spring (including my Sothia shawl pattern) and features some similar characteristics including Sothia's wide, shallow triangle shape, graphic garter-stitch stripes and neat eyelet border.   

Katriel, offers knitters who are pressed for time (or short on yarn!) the option of a quick-knit project with the same classic look of Sothia, but with a fast, easy picot bind off edging rather than Sothia's ruffle.  And adding to the easy-breezy nature of the Katriel pattern are lots of photos, tips and detailed instructions to help along the way.

This pattern has been extensively test knit by some super knitters - I want to give a giant THANK YOU to Jessica, Laurie, and Gerald. 

The new pattern calls for just two skeins of fingering-weight, madeleinetosh Tosh Merino Light yarn, but most fingering-weight yarns will work well for this design, making it a terrific stash-buster for all those gorgeous sock yarns you've been hoarding ('fess up now!).  And like Sothia, Katriel is a perfect showcase for those fantastic solid and semi-solid hand-dyed sock yarns for those not interested in stripes.

Both of these shawls used less than a full ball of every color - about 80 grams of each.

The light, fingering-weight yarn lends itself well to four-season wear, perfect for a cozy, extra layer during cold months, as well as for wearing over sleeveless tops and dresses during cool summer evenings or in air-conditioned settings. 

A wide triangle shape is truly versatile, giving the shawl a long, scarf-like proportion great for tucking into a coat, draping around the neck,

or simply throwing over the shoulders for a little extra warmth or as a colorful accent accessory.

Last April's verdant moss along a gravel trail inspired the gray and yellow-green (grellow?) version. 

I enjoyed knitting with Tosh Merino Light (see a full TML review here), and after a summer of use, all of my shawls look great, albeit slightly fuzzed, but in a nice way. For such a soft-touch singles yarn, TML has a good resistance to pilling so far.

However, those things said, TML relaxed and grew in gauge in varying degrees, with wet blocking, depending on color.  Some skeins from the same dye-lot seemed to have a lot more twist than the others, so blocking your swatch is an absolute must!

I knit a second version (or perhaps I should say first as it was the prototype) in lavender, rose and green Noro Taiyo Sock striped with soft heather gray Dale of Norway Baby Ull yarns. 

This version took it's cue from the spring cranesbill geranium and grape hyacinths growing near a rock in my garden.

A caveat about Taiyo Sock yarn - although it's very pretty, it was annoying to work with.  The fiber has a terrible tendency to stick to itself and become tangled in knots as the ball is pulled from the center. I much prefer Noro's lovely Silk Garden Sock for this sort of look and would choose that, rather than Taiyo, if knitting this shawl again.  

Both Katriel and Sothia are available as individual, stand-alone patterns, or as a value set of two patterns, at a special price, through the Ravelry shopping cart. To receive the discount, just add both patterns to your shopping cart first, then enter the coupon code Sothiaknitter at checkout.

I want to especially thank YOU, my blog-friends, for all the kind comments and enthusiasm for my design both here and on Ravelry, I really appreciate it!