There is a bumper crop of gorgeous flowers growing by the side of the road at the Spinnery this week. These blossoms have us thinking of circular lace shawls that might mimic their delicate finery.
One of the most widely knit circular shawl is the Pi Shawl from Elizabeth Zimmerman. Over 2,100 Ravelers have cast on for this pattern. From the pages of her Knitter’s Almanac, Elizabeth describes the project:
“When you set out on the annual family trip naturally you have to take your knitting; something has to keep you sane in face of the possibly quite ferocious situations you will be up against in the next two weeks.
Try a shawl.
I have a circular shawl for you which starts at the center, has absolutely no pattern, and only six shaping-rounds in the whole thing.”
What could be simpler? And the stunning variety of the projects on Ravelry clearly show how this simple recipe can create a unique shawl that like a snowflake or a flower has a breathtaking grace. Using Spinnery Simply Fine yarn might be a perfect choice. Selecting the variegated color will add another level of complexity to your project.
For those of you feeling more ambitious, you may want to try one of a pair of circular shawls designed by Audry Nicklin that portray the stars in the night sky oriented from either the north or south poles. The lacework of this shawl is combined with beads for a bit of extra sparkle.
© Jane Heller
This stunning shawl Celestarium uses eyelets and beads as stars with the center representing Polaris. We can’t think of a more beautiful way to capture memories of summer evenings spent stargazing. Our Spinnery Sock Art Forest or Meadow might be a perfect yarn for this project, requiring just three skeins to complete.
Eric has a stunning circular shawl on the needles right now. We can’t share project details or photos yet, in part because we haven’t yet released the yarn she’s using, and in part because she is eager to block out her work so that it looks its very best. We hope to show you those photos in upcoming weeks.
In the meantime, you may want to take a look at some of the other 274 circular lace shawl patterns that are available on Ravelry. Let us know if we can help you find the perfect Spinnery yarn for an end of summer project that will capture the fleeting beauty of a summer bouquet.