The Evolution of a Shawl

I may have hit on a solution

I love knitting shawls, especially in summer. They’re light, they’re fun, they use the fanciest of yarns, they keep you on your toes. All that said, I hate wearing them. They fall off your shoulders, they make your arms useless, and they look a bit mumsy.

I like those cashmere ponchos that have been all the rage for several years now, but they look absolutely horrible on me.

But I could not resist this shawl kit. I bought it in a blue and gold combination that is no longer offered. I loved the stitch patterns; how random they seemed and how one looked like honeycomb. I got about a quarter of the way through when I realized that I would never wear it as a stole.

So I ripped it up. I planned out a poncho sort of like the popular ones but crossed with a ruana. Like a ruana that met in the middle, or a square necked, square hemmed poncho. But I didn’t like the way that was turning out, either. I ripped it again.

Then, on a thrift store shopping excursion—we have a great thrift store in town—I found this:

Its colors reminded me of the blues and golds of the Aperture shawl kit and I thought, huh. It’s basically a shawl with sleeves, or a ruana with sleeves.

Now I’m trying to create something similar with my shawl kit. Instead of set-in sleeves, I’m trying kimono sleeves with short rows and a side seam that goes up from the bottom hem to the sleeve hem. I’m using the same stitch pattern as the stole, which is a little funky but I like them.

Here’s what I have so far:

There’s a distinct possibility that my structure might not work. It wouldn’t be the first time I got halfway through something before I realized it was infeasible. If it works, I’d like to get the pink and orange color combo at the top of the page and make another. Admittedly, the yarns are crazy expensive but the colors are beautiful.

Let’s all just hope I don’t rip it up again. I don’t think the yarn can take any more.