Part of our ongoing Show & Tell series, this Scout Shawl was knitted by Michele and, unfortunately, does not live in the shop!
Scout Shawl is designed by Florence Spurling and is available to buy on Ravelry.
Scout is inspired by vintage quilts, with the effect of 'patched' together patterns. It combines stranded colourwork and intarsia knitting throughout.
Knitted sideways from end to end this shawl is very scarf like. It looks stunning worn loose showing all the patterning and tied around the neck with overlapping patterns and colours.
It is knitted using a 4ply thickness yarn.
Michele used Kinross 4ply and Socks Yeah 4ply.
The pattern description on Ravelry offers guidance on choosing colours and there's a diagram showing how the colours are used.
And you should definitely check out the other Scout projects shared on Ravelry. Lots of colour inspiration and even a jumper.
Michele's colours are organised as:
- C1 - Socks Yeah in shade 111 - Benitoit x 1 hank
- C2 - Kinross 4ply in Lichen x 2 hanks
- C3 - Kinross 4ply in Highland Cow x 1 hank
- C4 - Kinross 4ply in Otter x 1 hank
- C5 - Kinross 4ply in Fairy Pool x 1 hank
To achieve the patchwork look this shawl does use two types of colourwork - stranded and intarsia.
With stranded colourwork you carry unused colour along the back of your work.
To knit in one piece combining patterns and knitting a border at the same time (with no sewing or picking up stitches afterwards) you need to do a bit of intarsia so the different stranded colourwork patterns are joined smoothly (and securely).
The pattern gives lots of tips on how to do this and the the intarsia element is quite minimal. You only need to wind C1 into 3 smaller balls. This is the colour used as a border around the shawl.
This is a complex pattern:
- You are working from 2 stranded colourwork charts on most rows.
- You will have several balls on the go for each row
- It is knitted flat so you will have to do stranded colourwork on a purl row too.
However...
- The charts are in a large format and with stranded colourwork you can more easily see what you are making.
- If you are methodical in your ball management you can minimise tangles (this is perhaps not the best travel project!)
- Here's a tutorial from Suzanne Bryon on working stranded colourwork flat. It's part of series of colourwork tutorials which accompany her colourwork scarf 'workshop' (see it on Ravelry).
The shawl really is stunning and the Kinross 4ply feels lovely and looks great in colourwork. The Socks Yeah 4ply has blended in seamlessly too.
The stranded colourwork charts will also work well in other patterns. Perhaps in a tube cowl (so you can knit in the round) or as a blanket or cushion.
Looking at the projects on Ravelry there are several lovely versions in Vivacious 4ply and some projects in Jamieson's of Shetland Spindrift.
It would also be great knitted in lots of leftovers. It would really capture the patchwork effect... although you'd probably have even more balls to manage!
If you're interested in knitting your own Scout shawl and would like help with colours pop into the Pittenweem shop or get in touch. We'd be happy to help!
