Modern Knitted Shawls and Wraps E-Book

Laura Strutt

• Herausgeber: CICO Books
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

35 beautiful knitting designs, ranging from a simple wrap in chunky yarn for beginners to a lightweight lace evening shawl for experienced knitters. There's simply nothing more versatile than knitted shawls. They can be lacy or chunky, bright or neutral, cabled or just plain garter stitch, but they are always stylish, useful, and perfect for when you need a little extra warmth. Laura Strutt has designed 35 beautiful shawls and wraps, with something for everyone, from novice knitters to experts. Divided into Bright and Beautiful, Warm and Rich, and Neutral and Natural shades, the patterns use a complete rainbow of colours, including variegated yarns. The stitch patterns are just as diverse, with textured triangles, beaded lace stitches, and overlapping 'waves'. Start with a beautifully warm garter stitch wrap in a cool glacier blue – quick to knit even for a beginner – or a rainbow-striped triangular shawl. Then try a fashionable ombré-shaded shawl with an eyelet pattern, or a grey and white monochrome shawl with a bright contrast edging. For more experienced knitters, there are larger projects such as the brioche-stitch shawl, or the feather and fan stitch wrap in a variegated silk-based yarn. Whether you are knitting a cover-up for yourself, or a gift for a friend or family member, you will be spoilt for choice with these beautiful designs.

Leseprobe

modern knitted shawls AND wraps

modern knitted shawls AND wraps

35 WARM AND STYLISH DESIGNS TO KNIT, FROM LACY SHAWLS TO CHUNKY WRAPS

laura strutt

To John and Waffle—the best companions a girl could wish for!

This edition published in 2022 by CICO Books

An imprint of Ryland Peters & Small Ltd

20–21 Jockey’s Fields, London WC1R 4BW

341 E 116th St, New York, NY 10029

www.rylandpeters.com

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

First published in 2017.

Text © Laura Strutt 2017

Design, illustration, and photography © CICO Books 2017

The author’s moral rights have been asserted.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress and the British Library.

ISBN: 978-1-80065-109-8

eISBN: 978-1-80065-172-2

Printed in China

Editor: Rachel Atkinson

Pattern checker: Jemima Bicknell

Designer: Alison Fenton

Photographers: Emma Mitchell and Penny Wincer

Stylists: Rob Merrett and Joanna Thornhill

Illustrator: Stephen Dew

Art director: Sally Powell

Creative director: Leslie Harrington

Production manager: Gordana Simakovic

Publishing manager: Penny Craig

contents

introduction

before you begin

chapter 1

bright and beautiful

purple reign

knit a rainbow

sunshine on a rainy day

turquoise triangles

pretty pastels

peaches and cream

feathers and fans

coral formations

sherbet swirl

a touch of pink

catherine wheel

oranges and lemons

never-ending color

chapter 2

warm and rich

spice rack

falling leaves

midnight sky

patchwork patterns

draped cape

madeira wine

moonlight and lace

a splash of orange

raspberry and rhubarb

golden sunshine

rosy red wrap

chapter 3

neutral and natural

waves and water

sea green

pure and simple

waves of warmth

ice queen

peppermint candy

sun and sand

ocean blue

simply stylish

wood and stone

mint julep cowl

techniques

abbreviations and suppliers

index

acknowledgments

introduction

As the seasons change, knitted wraps and shawls are fantastic accessories to see you through the transition in true style! There are endless options for color, size, shape, and style, which makes them not only great to add to your own closet but also to give as gifts—there is sure to be something that suits everyone’s unique body type and dress sense!

Knitting is a wonderfully creative pastime, and I love to experiment with this medium. The more I knit, the more I learn that the possibilities are endless! With so many different stitches, techniques, and options for customization, there is always something satisfying, challenging, and rewarding waiting to be cast on to your needles. Hopefully this collection of 35 modern knitted shawls and wraps, with their ”Make it Yours” suggestions for variations, will provide you with the inspiration to create your own personalized accessories.

This collection is also a fantastic opportunity to try out a few new techniques, from miter squares and brioche knitting, to lace patterns and working in the round. These projects should have something to suit your every knitting mood—whether you are a novice looking for something quick and easy, or you are keen to build your skills and are looking for a more challenging piece. And when you’ve finished something that you can wear—whether it is for everyday use or for that special occasion—there is a great deal of satisfaction to be had from being able to say, “Yes! I made it myself!”

I hope these patterns for knitted shawls, wraps, afghans, capes, and cowls will spark your imagination, boost your passion for knitting, and allow you to make your very own selection of stunning knitwear which you can be truly proud of!

Happy Knitting!

Laura

before you begin

Knitted shawls are such satisfying projects to make. Not only are you able to try out a range of different techniques and stitch patterns to add to your knitting skills set, you also create a unique handmade accessory to wear with pride! The projects in this book will become great additions to your closet, whether as statement accessories, cozy cover-ups, or simply for a flash of pick-me-up color!

yarn

Knitted shawls can be made from almost any style, thickness, fiber, and finish of yarn. Each will have different properties and lend itself to a distinct look for the finished piece; thicker yarns create a denser fabric and make for wonderfully quick and cozy projects, whilst accessories using lighter weight yarns might take slightly longer to complete, but will create airy designs with more drape and fluidity.

The patterns in this book showcase a range of effects and finishes you can achieve by using different weights, fibers, and styles of yarn—you can even raid your yarn stash to create these makes—just be sure to check the details of the yarn weights, amounts, and gauge (tension) when substituting yarn.

Some of the yarns used in the book are sold in skeins or hanks and it is important to wind these into balls before beginning to knit so as to avoid creating nasty yarn tangles.

It is also very important, particularly for the larger single-color projects such as Purple Reign (page 12) and Ice Queen (page 93), that you have enough yarn before starting. Buying all the required yarn in one go will ensure you have balls or skeins from the same dye lot. Different dye lots can vary considerably in color and changes in dye lots partway through a project will be noticeable.

gauge (tension)

A guide for the gauge (tension) is given with each pattern, and whilst matching this exactly is not as paramount when making accessories, it is important to achieve a gauge as close as possible to the one provided so your finished make has the same look, feel, and size as shown in the photographs. Check your gauge before starting the project and make adjustments by switching the size of the needles—if your gauge is too tight and the stitches in your swatch are smaller than those recommended, try using needles one size larger. Similarly, if your stitches are too large, switch to needles one size smaller and rework the swatch. See page 112 for information on gauge swatches.

Maintaining an even gauge throughout your project is important for a neat and tidy finish as all the stitches will be of a similar size. This is particularly important for projects with feature stitches such as the multiple yarn over stitches in the Waves of Warmth wrap (page 90) where even gauge will create an open repeat pattern.

blocking

Taking time to carefully finish your project will give it a really neat and professional look. Not only does blocking help the fabric lie neatly and to the given measurements, it also opens up the stitches to show off the finer details of your hard work, whether that be lace stitches as seen in Madeira Wine (page 66) or delicate picot edgings seen in Knit a Rainbow (page 14), and Oranges & Lemons (page 48). You can block your finished make either with steam from the iron, or by soaking in lukewarm water before pinning into shape to dry. Remember to check the yarn ball band for specific details on washing the yarn—it’s generally advised to hand-wash shawls and wraps. Remember to take care when steaming acrylic and acrylic blend yarns as they can easily stretch out of shape—wet blocking will be a much better option. Cotton and silk yarns can be blocked firmly to encourage the fibers to sit neatly in place. See page 123 for more information on blocking.

lifelines

There is nothing worse for knitters than having to rip back (frog) your work due to a mistake. You can make this process easier to bear by regularly placing lifelines in the knitting, so if you do have to go back a few rows it avoids pulling further back even further than necessary. A lifeline is usually a length of smooth yarn such as cotton, in a lighter weight than the project yarn. When you reach a point where you are sure the stitch count and pattern are correct, use a tapestry needle to thread the lifeline through the stitches on your needle and then continue your knitting. If you need to rip back, remove the knitting from the needle, pull the yarn back to the lifeline which will neatly catch the stitches. Place the stitches back on the needle, continue knitting and repeat the lifeline placement every so often, that way you can be sure the previous section is correct. This method is particularly useful for lace projects such as Rosy Red Wrap (page 78) and brioche knitting such as Sun and Sand (page 99), where mistakes can be tricky to spot and then correct easily.

knitting needles

The patterns in this book indicate the size and type of needles to use with the yarn listed for the project. You can adjust these where necessary to accommodate yarn substitutions and to match the gauge (tension) to that given with the pattern. How you hold the needles and yarn is a matter of preference—there is no right or wrong, as long as you are able to freely move your wrists, hands, and fingers in order to comfortably work neat and even stitches.

Various needle types are used or suggested; straight, circular, and double-pointed needles (DPNs), and each variant has its own benefits. As well as using circular needles and DPNs for working in the round, you will find a circular needle is suggested for working the larger shawls back and forth in rows including A Touch of Pink (page 42) and Feathers and Fans (page 31) among others. Circular needles hold the high volume of stitches and enable you to rest the knitting comfortably on your lap, reducing the stress on your wrists and also allowing you to open up the shawl and see your progress, making mistakes easier to spot!

additional equipment

Stitch markers: Used to split a row into defining sections and act as reminders of garter stitch borders or the central point of a row. Many of the patterns in this book include the instruction “place marker” and “work to marker.” When you reach the marker simply slip it from the left-hand to right-hand needle so it maintains its correct position and take care when markers are next to yarn overs as they can slip underneath and out of position.

Row counter: This is a small, tubular counter that fits on the end of your knitting needle. You click it round after each completed row.

Tapestry & yarn needles: For securing the ends of the yarn at the start and end of a project and also where color changes occur. For heavier weight yarns, try using a split-eye needle or a crochet hook to secure in the ends neatly.

Sewing needle & thread: Handy to have for securing buttons in place.

Tape measure: Always useful for checking gauge (tension) swatches and finished sizes when blocking. Triangular shawl measurements are usually taken along the long top edge and down the central line.

Rust-proof pins: For holding your project in shape when blocking.

skill levels

Each project includes a star rating as a skill level guide:

Projects incorporating basic stitches, and simple shapes and techniques.

Projects combining different stitches and repetitive stitch patterns, simple color changes, shaping, and finishing.

Projects using a variety of techniques that require more concentration and the ability to “read” your knitting, such as double-sided lace patterns and brioche knitting.

chapter 1

bright and beautiful

skill level

purple reign

With its delicate lacy design and jewel-like color, this long, elegant wrap will add a touch of class to your favorite little black dress.

materials

Schachenmayr Catania Fine (100% cotton, approx 180yd/165m per 1¾oz/50g ball) fingering (4ply) weight yarn

6 balls of shade Phlox 366

US 4 (3.5mm) knitting needles

Tapestry needle

finished measurements

23½in (60cm) wide x 53in (135cm) long

gauge (tension)

2½ repeats of lace pattern (25 sts x 32 rows) to measure 4in (10cm) on US 4 (3.5mm) needles after blocking

abbreviations

See page 126.

make it yours For a completely different look that’s perfect for spring or summer, use a white, cream, or other pale neutral shade.

for the wrap

Using US 4 (3.5mm) needles and the long-tail method (see page 114), cast on 141 sts.

Row 1 (RS): K1, *yo, k3, sl1 k2tog psso, k3, yo, k1; rep from * to end.

Row 2 (WS): Purl.

Row 3: K1, *k1, yo, k2, sl1 k2tog psso, k2, yo, k2; rep from * to end.

Row 4: Purl.

Row 5: K1, *k2, yo, k1, sl1 k2tog psso, k1, yo, k3; rep from * to end.

Row 6: Purl.

Row 7: K1, *k3, yo, sl1 k2tog psso, yo, k4; rep from * to end.

Row 8: Purl.

Rows 1-8 set the lace pattern repeat.

Continue repeating rows 1-8 until 149 reps have been worked in total, ending after working a row 8.

Bind (cast) off loosely knitwise.

making up and finishing

Weave in all loose ends and block to measurements.

tip Blocking the finished piece will open up the stitches and show off the delicate lace pattern.

skill level

knit a rainbow

Add a flash of color to your world with this super-sized triangle shawl. Worked from the top down, with blocks of bright shades, this cheerful wrap will brighten your day!

materials

Rowan Cotton Glace (100% cotton, approx 126yd/115m per 1¾oz/50g ball) light worsted (DK) weight yarn

6 balls of shade Ecru 725 (A)

1 ball each of shades:

Poppy 741 (B)

Persimmon 832 (C)

Mineral 856 (D)

Green Slate 844 (E)

Midnight 868 (F)

Garnet 841 (G)

Precious 867 (H)

Aqua 858 (I)

US 4 (3.5mm) circular needle, minimum 48in (120cm) length

Note: The shawl is worked flat in rows but a circular needle is recommended due to the high stitch count.

4 stitch markers

Tapestry needle

finished measurements