I ripped this back in December 2024. I don’t think it was the best yarn for this shawl and handspun yarn needs to be utilized well…

Final Thoughts:

• This is a well-written pattern that produces a lovely finished object.

• I would definitely start this with a minimum of 900 yards of yarn or you may need to refine the size (as I did, see details below).

• Even with one cable repeat, vs the 2 instructed, I find this shawl large enough at 15” deep and 60” in length.

• The cable pattern is not hard but it does take attention and there are many repeats per row. Definitely use stitch markers to delineate the segments. As the shawl grows longer via increases at each edge, you will frequently be working with partial cables close to the edge stitching.

• This is my first large project using hand spun yarn and, for that reason, I’m all the more pleased with the outcome.

I’ll use my latest (and largest) batch of hand-spun yarn to make this shawl. I’m not swatching because I don’t swatch for shawls, in general. I just ensure that I like the fabric.

I’m not usually that person who runs out of yarn but I can see already (almost through one cable repeat) that I’m not going to have enough yarn to finish this shawl as instructed. To save myself from stress, I’m going to cut out the second cable repeat but that means that I’m going to have to do a bit of math… I’ll have a slightly smaller shawl but at least I’ll definitely be able to finish it.

Note: Even if I’d used a smaller needle size from the project start (and I felt that gave a slightly less drapey fabric than I preferred, I couldn’t make this shawl, as written,with only 800 yards. I’d want 925-950 yards to feel comfortable (and other project pages indicate that this takes more yarn than indicated in the instructions.

How I Eliminated the second of 2 cable repeats to save yarn while maintaining the overall shape of the shawl:

• After working the final cable row (R28), there were 428st. This represents 19, 22st repeats and 5 edge stitches on each side. The repeats-only represent 418st (the segment over which I will decrease).

• Rows 29 and 30 complete the motif (much as rows 57 and 58 do so immediately prior to Section 4 - the decrease row).

• So I know that I want to work R 29 and R30, after which - given the increases on each row - there will be 434st. 5 of these are edge stitches on either side and there are an additional 3 stitches on either side between the full repeat and the edge stitches.

• Section 4, as instructed, decreases 95st (84.78%) within the edge stitches (but including the partial repeats that abut the edge stitches). I decreased approx that percentage while maintaining an odd number of decreased stitches. That number was 79st. So, I decreased 79 stitches on the RS row while at the same time inc 4st (at each edge, to retain shaping). Then, on the WS row, I continued to add another 2 st, again to retain side shaping. At the end of these 2 rows I had 361st.

• How exactly will I decrease those 79 st over the 418 st? Well, turns out that this calculator exists: https://www.worldknits.com/knitting-calculators. It indicated that I should do the following to obtain a balanced decrease over the 418st:

RS: Work to first 22st repeat, K2, (k2tog, k3) 28 times, (k2tog, k4) 22 times, (k2tog, k3) 28 times, k2tog, k2, work to end after final 22st repeat

(This didn’t quite work, see below for more intel…)

• For some reason, I ended up with 359st, as desired, BUT I had to work an extra 2, k2togs at the end of the final 22st repeat - with 4 and 5 st after them. On reconsideration, it’s prob because I didn’t properly account for the stitches outside of the 22st repeats that aren’t edge stitches (the emerging new repeats) but, really, I don’t care enough to sleuth further, esp as I have the anticipated stitch count..

• I was disinclined to tink back all the way to the start of the row to fix whatever was going on but I was also (prob unnecessarily) concerned that the unbalanced decreases would lead to an unbalanced crescent. So I tinked back to the end of the K2tog, K4 segment and added 2 additional repeats of it. Then I continued with the second instance of the K2tog, K3 repeat followed by K1, edge and this worked fine. See below.

Decrease row I landed on:

RS: Work to first 22st repeat, K2, (k2tog, k3) 28 times, (k2tog, k4) 24 times, (k2tog, k3) 28 times, K1 work to end after final 22st repeat

• Of course, at this point, my stitch count was completely different from the pattern’s - as was the final ratio of garter to cables (the amount of garter that appears above the cable segment). I continued with side increases (6st ever 2 rows) until the depth of garter stitch that’s knitted after the cable section seemed optimally proportionate to the cable and the initial garter sections.

• Update: I worked 16R (8 2-row repeats) instead of the 7 instructed - albeit I didn’t work the second cable repeat so this is still shallower and shorter than it would have been if worked according to instructions. I stopped at the point at which the garter to cable proportion seemed optimal. On balance, I probably could have worked the second cable repeat but, if I had, I would have had to bind off after 2-4 garter rows, post cable section and I would have been playing a stressful game of yarn chicken - no extra yarn (and it’s hand spun). Also, the cable segment was not particularly enjoyable for me (if very appealing to look at). I don’t love working cables and these rows were long - so I can’t say I’m sad to not have worked the repeat twice. :-) I think this shawl would have been rather big if made re: instructions.

About the Yarn: I spend a lot of time being very honest in my opinions about patterns and yarns so I feel it’s only appropriate to say that knitting with my own yarn gives me an appreciation for high-quality commercial yarn. This yarn is not particularly consistent - I mean, it has its even sections, but I can certainly improve. It’s also, in many segments, under spun. Having said this, I wouldn’t have a sense of what to improve if I didn’t use my hand spun. It’s reasonably splitty yarn, given that it’s loosely plied, and that makes it impossible to use without looking at the yarn continuously. The colour and sheen are beautiful, though I’m not sure I can take any credit for that. I’m spinning another fibre now that’s quite different (BFL and masharm, so longer staple length and stickier) but I’m aiming to be more consistent with those singles on the basis of data gained by working with this corriedale. And I’ve bought 2 more batches of corriedale to gain more experience in developing consistent singles with this fibre.

Preblocked Dimensions: 12.5” deep at centre shawl and 52” from tip to tip (measured along the flat cast on edge i.e. not the icord crescent edge). There’s a lot of stretch in this yarn and when it blocks, I anticipate that it will get quite a bit longer as the cables relax.

I’m blocking with pins - given that the shawl has an icord edge and it’s largely garter, it doesn’t seem to need wires. Still took 30 min to pin it out while ensuring that it’s even and symmetrical. Also, when blocking cables you really need to stretch them so that they integrate with the garter fabric… Measurements that it pinned nicely to are 15” depth at centre and 60” along the cast on edge.