Thank you to the designer Sarah Boulter for offering this lovely pattern free, and thank you to MDK for their lovely Euroflax mini skein sets - that was such a great idea. Fun for yarn play!

I wondered if this pattern might work for the MDK (Mason Dixon Knitting) Euroflax Linen Mini skein sets. This is the colorway called “Fire.” I like the finished project, and I hope my sister will enjoy it, yet I’m not certain it was the right combination of yarn and project.

I made two modifications to the pattern:
I started with just a few stitches - 7 (rather than 41 as the pattern suggested)
And I used rapid increases on both sides and both edges to form a shallow crescent shawl. I knit two edge stitches, then kyok (knit, yarn over, knit) into the next stitch; worked pattern stitches across until 3 stitches remained, then kyok and knit two edge stitches.

I used beads on the final bind off. At this point, I did not have much yarn remaining. I pre-strung about 100 beads (size 6) onto the yarn, and then slid a bead in place every 3 bind off stitches or so, to add just a touch of bling.

One regret: with this rapid increase method (4 sts/row), the 2 garter stitches forming the edge, with this linen yarn, make an unforgiving top edge. I wish it had a bit of give at the edge, but it has none. Would a yarn over between the two edge stitches (k, yo, k) and then dropped on the following row, have made a difference? I’m not sure. I like the rate of increase, but to get a forgiving top edge, I needed to use a different increase method.

I used the stitch pattern the designer suggested, and I also blended the colors as suggested, as I went along:
Color 1: knit alone for until less than half remained (i.e., wing it)
Introduce C2 and blend, i.e., C2 (two rows) C1 (two rows) until I ran out of C1.
Color 2: knit alone for a few rows (maybe 6)
Introduce C3 and blend, i.e., C2 (two rows) C2 (two rows)
Etc.

I used all of the MDK mini skein set, which has 325 yards (5 colors, 65 yards each) plus additional “eggplant” that I’d purchased previously in a separate skein. I’m not sure how much I used, but perhaps another 65+ yards.

It is still small, yet adequate for a little warmth around the neck and decorative style.