Wavelength Shawl from Holley's Yarn Shoppe - Day 1

Just the right Wavelength...

This is a perfect summer project.  The fiber, Classic Elite Bella Lino linen/viscose/cotton blend is light and airy.  I have a good, cozy neutral beige winter shawl, but I need one for warmer weather.  The gentle undulation of warm colors—browns, tans, grays, and creams—gives texture and just a bit of interest to the knitting.  For now, working with only one 50 gram ball, my project is highly portable even with its long circular needle.

The yarn is a bit stiff—it is, after all, 58% linen—but I know that will soften once this baby gets its first bath.  The ball is like a squirmy toddler; it wants to unwind.  I find I need to keep it under close control so that it doesn’t unravel and tangle.

Yes, this is another top-down shawl.  I know, I just know it’ll be grueling at the end.  I’ll be slogging through the long final rows, whining to you about how many stitches there are.  To help in that challenge, the designer places panels of mercifully quick-and-easy garter stitch on either side of the lacework center.  I’m hoping this will keep me from pulling my hair out in my inevitable final dash to the bind-off.

The lacework pattern—with its expanding repeat in rows 21-34, takes a few readings to grasp. Read the note and the pattern a couple of times until it becomes clear. Essentially, each set of row repeats adds 14 stitches to the section; enough to host an additional stitch repeat. So you don’t repeat the first “repeat”—you just execute it.  It’s complicated, but once you catch the idea, it’s whack-your-forehead simple.  Stitch markers, which get shifted at the end of each set of 14 rows, will help ensure you’re exactly where you need to be.