5 Shawls, 5 Days Roundup

Well, it's exactly what it sounds like . . .almost. 

Hosted by the wonderful Francoise Danoy of Aroha Knits, the challenge was to knit 5 mini-shawls in 5 days.   Note the mini-shawl part.   That's the 'almost'.

When I first saw the challenge, I did a mental 'eek, no way!'  I thought there was absolutely no way I could knit 5 shawls in 5 days.  But, rest assured, they're mini-shawls, I promise.   Indeed; the e-mail instructions included such things as 'knit for no more then 30 minutes.'

Now, the official challenge is closed, but if you'd like you can still sign up for a 'DIY version,' which I strongly recommend.  It teaches a lot about various shawl constructions, and has sparked several design ideas for me!

So, onto my 5 days, 5 shawls:

A miniature winged shawl done in stocking stitch with a garter stitch border, made in turquoise aran-weight yarn.
Day 1: Winged Shawl

Day 1 was triangular shawls, and this was a pretty familiar construction (as I suspect it is to many people who've knit shawls before).  I altered mine by adding an extra set of increases, to give it a longer wingspan.

A miniature semi-circular shawl done in stocking stitch with a garter stitch border, made in turquoise aran-weight yarn.
Day 2: Semi-Circular Shawl
Day 2 focused on semi-circular shawls, which are very similar in construction to triangular shawls, just with a different pattern of increases.

A miniature crescent shawl done in stocking stitch with a garter stitch border, made in turquoise aran-weight yarn.
Day 3: Crescent Shawl
Day 3 was the crescent shawl. While the basic construction wasn't new to me, the method of increases was, so that was interesting.  I also had a bit of trouble getting this one to block evenly, but that might have been because I was in a hurry to get this one done!

A miniature triangular shawl knit side-to-side in stocking stitch with a slipped-stitch edge and YO increases on one side, made in white worsted yarn.
Day 4: Side to Side Shawl
Day 4 focused on shawls knit point-to-point.  I've done a shawl knit sideways before, but not constructed like this one.  Despite my best attempts at blocking, it does still curl a little.  I don't know if that's me, or if that just means it needs another round with the iron!

A miniature non-symmetrical triangle shawl knit from point to edge in stocking stitch, with a slipped-stitch edge, made in white worsted yarn.
Day 5: Asymmetrical Shawl
Day 5 was actually the most interesting for me, despite making mistakes on the pattern.  I think this would work out amazing with a knitted on lace border of some kind.   This is also one where I altered the pattern, swapping M1L and M1p for the YO stitches.

So, there you have what I've been up to recently!   If you're still curious, again, you can check out the course for free in the DIY form.

Until next time!

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