SECRETS OF SHAWL DESIGN
When I start thinking about a new shawl design, I sometimes begin with a specific shawl shape and then find a stitch pattern to suit the shape. Other times, I begin with a specific stitch pattern I’d like to use, and look for a shawl shape that is suitable for that stitch. Sometimes, I find a yarn that I’m keen to use, so I make decisions about stitch pattern and shape based on what will suit the yarn.
CHOOSING THE SHAPE
When you decide on a shawl shape, you also need to think about the stitch pattern you want to use, and how that will fit into your chosen shape (we’ll talk more about stitch patterns later). Once I’ve decided on the shape, I need to decide on how I will achieve it. There are a few shawl shapes that have become fairly standard in the knitting world, and you can easily find formulas online for how to work out the shaping – but when it comes to shawl shapes, the sky’s the limit. You can combine increases and decreases in a variety of ways to create all sorts of shapes. However, as a designer, I’m creating patterns for other knitters to knit, so I need to make sure that what I’m designing won’t be too difficult to write up as a pattern.
