Ishbel Shawl

I started working on Ishbel because I had (dare I say it) sort of burnt out on socks. (GASP.) Between yardage issues with the Sunshine socks and a strange unwillingness to work on the handspun socks, I figured out that I needed something not sock-like at all to work on and recharge my knitting mojo.

I’d been wanting to knit Ysolde Teague’s shawlette pattern since it first debuted, and when I got the yarn (Fresh From the Cauldron’s Silk Sock in her Debbie Pelt colorway), I somehow knew it would be a perfect fit for Ishbel.

I can’t say enough good things about this pattern. It is the perfect introduction to lace. The upper portion is all stockinette, with a garter stitch border and yarn overs. You can see exactly how the shawl starts to grow while you pluck up the courage to dive right into the lace portion. For my Ishbel, I did the small stockinette/large lace hybrid that other Ravelers have done, and I loved the way it turned out.

Once I blocked it, the lace really grew and evened out and I couldn’t be happier with it. The lace pattern comes with both charts and written instructions, for those who are new to knitting from charts, and the repeats are memorable and intuitive.

The finished measurements are about 48″ along the border and 22″ down the center. The yarn is super soft, and quite warm, and I can’t wait until the weather gets cold enough for me to wear it. You can tell that I’m still new to Colorado.

Details

Cast on: July 18, 2009
Bind off: August 2, 2009
Yarn: Fresh from the Cauldron Silk Sock (70% Merino, 30% Silk) Debbie Pelt. Approximately 361 yds
Size: one size
Modifications: no intentional modifications.

See more of my shawl knitting adventures.