The Swallowtail Shawl pattern, written by Evelyn A. Clark, has been a favorite of mine to knit. I find it particularly soothing and meditative. The bonus is that it has nupps, which I love everything about: knitting them, looking at them from a distance, inspecting them up close where I can see the subtle variations of color in each component strand of yarn, and feeling the texture when the piece is finished. I’ve made three of these shawls so far, maybe more? I’m not entirely sure, because I give things away.
This is the version I kept. I wanted it to be more cozy and homey, so I knitted the pattern differently in a way I saw some people on Ravelry doing it, with a stockinette top portion, rather than the lace as written. I used a heavier weight of yarn, and didn’t pull the points out when I blocked it, so edges are more rounded, less defined. One of the other versions I made was in a silver-colored pure silk laceweight yarn, with the lacy top as written. That was gorgeous. It’s just a great pattern.
I knitted my shawl in Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light, one of my very favorite yarns. It’s a fingering-weight hand-dyed merino wool, single-ply, which is always my preference. It only took one skein, and the shade is called Vintage Frame. I think this color is discontinued now, which is a pity. They have so many other colors, though, that it’s almost maddening to try to choose one. I guess that explains all the shawls.
marmalade season 