Some designs come together relatively quickly, but this wasn’t one of them. Almost four years ago I posted the first photos of a lace shawl in progress (alongwith a brownie recipe I’d forgotten about but now cannot wait to make again – you certainly should!). I did finish the shawl, here’s a photo of it blocking:
However, my design and knitting skills were rather ahead of my pattern writing experience and my attempts at charting the pattern resulted in a headache. If I couldn’t make sense of how to chart a large stitch pattern with a constantly changing stitch count I certainly couldn’t expect any knitter to follow it. And so, I wore my shawl, and filed my notes away under “old patterns in progress”. Last summer I found the shawl in a drawer and went to look at my original chart. After dragging a few things around in illustrator it seemed pretty simple and I set out to find the perfect cherry yarn. I started off with a gorgeous cashmere / silk blend from The Sanguin Gryphon, but we found out not long before the photoshoot that they would be splitting into two companies and that this yarn would no longer be available. Fortunately Cephalopod Yarns totally came through and dyed up the same deep cherry colour in the popular Skinny Bugga base.
I love showing how different a shawl can look in fingering vs lace weight, especially since they so often work at the same gauge. For the laceweight version I choose the luxurious 2ply cashmere from Jade Sapphire in the colourway Cousin Coral, a vibrant red orange that made me think of cherries at that bright, almost ripe stage.
Do you recognise my lovely models? I accosted Melissa and Clara at Rhinebeck and had them pose for me – I love how many friends ended up in Whimsical Little Knits 3. After modelling for Saturday Treat (we did the photoshoot twice but that’s another story) it was so nice to be on the other side of the lens.
Sherilyn is part of Whimsical Little Knits 3, and I hope you like some of the other patterns in the book too, but if you’re only interested in knitting this shawl I have some good news. It’s now also available as an individual pdf for £3.75.
If I’d known in 2008 that I’d end up waiting for almost four years to see anyone else make it I’d probably have pretended the idea never existed but it was totally worth all of the percolation time. I love this bright green one that IgnorantBliss has already finished!
I can’t wait to see yours! Now, who knows where the name came from and what the connection with the “cherry shawl” working title is?
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
I do believe that Sherilyn works in the diner in Twin Peaks. Said diner served damn fine cherry pie. :-) Lovely shawl pattern!
Twin Peaks actress.Sherilyn Fenn.
Lovely color :3
I believe that yes, someone has been on a Twin Peaks bender…but would we be referring to Sherilynn Fenn’s ability to knot a cherry stem without using her hands? ;-)
Great tv reference, I spent many a teenage hour trying to reproduce that little feat of hers. Think I even managed it once or twice!
Wait a minute, I have a bowl of cherries in my fridge – time for a spot of nostalgia. Thanks Ysolda! (and the shawl is beautiful by the way)
Oh I can totally do that!
Just lovely!! You are a true inspiration!! =)
Great pattern! Wild be a great addition to my spring wardrobe!
Oooh, Sherilyn is in my queue, and I have some lovely Tittering of Magpies in Haze reserved for it. This ‘might’ be my ‘mother-of-the-bride shawl for a May wedding in California! I printed out the pattern, but have the book, now, too.
It is gorgeous.
This reminds me of a morning when I was driving my kids to school. There was a mother walking her son to school and was wearing a rich, red shawl. It was so beautiful and so unusual for this neck of the woods. Most moms around here sport black yoga pants, uggs. I’ve thought of making one ever since but keep putting it off.
I think this might be the perfect pattern.
I just love that you don’t use “real” models. Seeing regular women wearing your designs makes them much more accessible. It’s so much easier to imagine oneself wearing them. Great shawl; now what about that brownie recipe?
Oh, I see a handful of folks beat me to the Twin Peaks reference. I think it might be time to pull out the DVD box set for another tv marathon – maybe while I knit this gorgeous shawl!
This has just gone to the top of my ‘to do list’ – so impressed with how versatile the shawl looks. Can’t wait to get going but now I have the hardest choice – what colour to do it in?
I absolutely love the green one but may have to err on the side of my usual colours: mauves or teals.
Fleur xx
So very pretty! I really like how good it looks in both weights.
thanks for finishing this- i have been waiting since the original picture and am SO excited to see it released. thank you again.
and the name screams “Twin Peaks” to me. i miss that show so much. if that’s the origin, you should track down a copy of “Laura Palmer’s Diary” if you can. of course, I read it right after the show came out, so it’s probably really horrible, but a themed read, nonetheless. :)
I may just have to knit this as my name is Sharilyn. Not quite the same but certainly close enough. :-)
What beautiful shawls! They look amazing. :0
I am such a fan of your awesome creativity… I have not yet come across any of your knitting patterns that I haven’t had to sit back and say WOW!..the colors, the stitches… alll so greaatt! Especially anything with Cables on it… keep up the wonderful work.
From Nova Scotia,Canada
A FAN..
Susan Richey
It looks absolutely gorgeous!
Oh !!!! I just finished my red one but now I see here the green !!!! gorgeous! I have to knit one more in green !!!
thank you for this shawl pattern!