Chrysten Shawl
Greetings to you today! Wherever you might be.
I am happy to share with you my newest design, the CHRYSTEN SHAWL - with an INTRODUCTORY DISCOUNT OFFER to show my appreciation for your support of my design venture.
Some of you will know that in September 2018 I attended Vogue Knitting Live in San Francisco, mainly because I entered a design contest being run in conjunction with this event and my design, Belle of the Ball Cape was a top ten finalist. As such it was scheduled to be modeled there, so I decided to also schedule myself in to see that happen! I was already planning on meeting a friend in the UK the following week and San Francisco was on the flight path, so it was an easy decision to change my original plans and stop there on the way.
One of the bonuses of attending Vogue Knitting Live was of course, visiting the marketplace and seeing all the yarny goodness on display. Most of which was for sale. It was incredibly overwhelming to gaze upon what was on offer, and although I went with a very loose idea of what I might purchase if the opportunity arose, I didn't go with a definite plan of action. I actually don't recommend that as an option, by the way! One of my purchases became an integral part of this, my newest design to be released, the Chrysten Shawl.
As I wandered the marketplace on the Friday night trying to look like I belonged, I stopped at a booth to have a look, turned around and came face to face with Christy, and then Trysten, the mother and daughter duo who front The Girls in The Yarn Cafe podcast. The 1st thing I remember saying to them was, "you've been in my lounge!" We had a lovely chat and they were so friendly I felt compelled to purchase a souvenir of the experience. Yes, being friendly makes ALL the difference! In my jet lagged state I 'carefully' chose a hank (skein) of Dragon Hoard Yarn in the Lore Base, which is a fingering weight and 85% Merino/15% Nylon. The colourway is Arachne. The length is 399m /436 yds per 100g. This yarn was dyed by Trysten. Mum (Mom), Christy also has a beautiful selection at Yarn Cafe Creations.
I have a really difficult time naming my designs, usually because what comes to mind first is already taken, and only recently when I finally wrote up the pattern for testing, did it occur to me that I really should name this design after Christy and Trysten. Chrysten is the result! How I wish they were all so easy to name! (I was going to combine the names more accurately, but that would have made Christen,and therefore possibly be confusing for some.)
On the UK leg of my journey, I acquired 4 balls of DROPS Brushed Alpaca Silk (77% Alpaca, 23% Silk) a lovely, super lightweight, warm, and very reasonably priced yarn that coordinates perfectly. Both yarns knit up beautifully in the same gauge on a 4 mm needle (USA 6), to produce this amazingly versatile wardrobe item, which is an almost symmetrical triangular shawl and as such very easy to style. I used just over 2 balls in the DROPS yarn. Each ball weighs 25g and measures 140 m in length. So - delightfully light, warm and super snuggly! I have also used the DROPS yarn in another of my designs, the Ice Cream Fun Day Shawl.
A lace weight mohair could be substituted if desired, or alternatively, 2 fingering weight yarns could be used, the choice is yours. The main thing is to pick 2 yarns that contrast well enough to emphasise the variances in the stitch patterns. The pattern has 2 easy stitch variations, with an increase, worked on one edge and alternate rows until bind off. So it gets bigger as you knit, but this also means you can easily increase the size - and/or, use other yarn weights to effect a different look to the design. The design features an effective I Cord edge and Bind off. Easy to view Video links are included in the 4 page download.
Measurements prior to blocking:
Top (Slip Stitch) Edge: 145 cm (58'')
I-Cord Edge: 100 cm (40'')
I-Cord Bind Off: 94 cm (38'')
My shawl weighs less than 150 g and because of that alone, it is already a favourite!
I am trying a new approach to my discount offers now and the following is going to be pretty much par for the course, and aimed at newsletter/blog subscribers ...
To purchase this pattern and claim your INTRODUCTORY 25% DISCOUNT on Ravelry or Etsy, available until midnight Saturday 24 August, 2019, simply click on the link and apply the code appropriate to the site you wish to purchase from, as follows:
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Add pattern to cart and APPLY CODE: Chrysten - before completing purchase.
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Add pattern to cart, and APPLY CODE: CHRYSTEN25 - before completing purchase.
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Please DO NOT SHARE THE CODE anywhere, but please DO feel free to SHARE the newsletter/blog post with any knitting friends who may be interested, and encourage them to sign up for themselves on the website.
Also, if you are interested in becoming a test knitter, I would encourage you to join my Ravelry Group or contact me through the website.
Thank you so much for your support of my designs! Bronwyn