A shawl pattern I’ve long wanted to make is Color Affection by designer Veera Välimäki . I’ve seen it on Ravelry in many gorgeous color combinations, and I love the interesting effect the short rows create.
I made mine with Swans Island Natural Colors Merino Fingering. As you can see, I was in the mood for some spring colors! I love the yarn – it’s what I call well-behaved – smooth, not splitty, soft.
I did have a couple of issues which I’ll keep in mind if I make another Color Affection….It ended up much smaller than the pattern’s dimensions call for, worked on US #6 needles. I’ll never disbelieve a gauge swatch again (ha, ha). It told me I should go up a needle size or two to get gauge, but thinking I didn’t want the stitches to get too loose, I ignored it. My shawl blocked out to about 72” x 16”, a far cry from the 94 x 22 in the pattern’s schematic. I probably should have used a size 8.
Nonetheless, this was a lot of fun to knit. It’ll be fine as a little shawlette-type accessory.
Bind-off: I tried going up two needle sizes and using the standard bind-off. It was too tight. I took it out and used Cap Sease’s “Suspended Bind Off Variation” from her book Cast On, Bind Off. It was perfect for the curved edge.
I want to thank my dear hubbie, the awesome Steve Ells, for taking these photos. I like the way the arch in the bridge mirrors the curved shape of the shawl!
Resources:
Color Affection pattern
Veera Välimäki’ designs on Ravelry and her beautiful Rain Knitwear Designs web site
Cast On, Bind Off by Cap Sease – please support your local yarn store and buy it there if they have it.
Swans Island yarn (made in the USA)
Thank you so much for your info. I am tall (5’10”) and made one of Veera’s shawls earlier this year that came out as a necklette.
I have already knit to section 11 of the MC and am going to frog and gauge swatch (again, #4) to see if an 8 works.
I’m just afraid it will look too amateurish in the larger stitch, but I guess if it matches the gauge, it matches the gauge.
Beautiful colors!
It’s beautiful and I hope you wear it with joy. 🙂
I always like my shawls to be smaller, since I’m only 5’2″. Now I know I can use a 6 and probably have the size I’d like. Color Affection is one of my Very Soon projects-to-be. I’ll be sure to keep in mind the tip about the bind-off, as well.