Two Free Lion Brand patterns: Simple Lace Shawl L32067 and Spring Ruana L20086/7

Simple Lace Shawl

I've been working on these two patterns since early November. I've finished both shawls. I really enjoyed both patterns.

The client wanted the Simple Shawl to be in purples and the ruana in a rich brown. The overriding concern for both shawls was that they be easy care and SOFT. I decided to use Simply Soft from Caron for the yarn for both projects.

The Simple Lace Shawl pattern (http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/L32067.html?noImages=) calls for a Lion brand yarn called "Unique". This is a 5 on the weight category classification--fairly thick, chunky yarn. It is a varigated yarn, i.e.: each skein has several colors. Unfortunately, none of the colorways for this yarn come in purples, although one of the colorways, "garden", has some purple in it. 

There are a couple of what is termed as "lys's" (local yarn shop/store) in my area, but I don't know where they are. What I have heard about them is that their staffs are not friendly, tend to be snooty and rude, and their yarn prices are extremely high.

The reason to go to a yarn shop at all is to "experience" the yarns. You can't get the feel of the yarn from a computer screen. You can't compare one shade with another to see if they will work. I don't mind paying more for quality yarn. If I'm going to buy silk, cashmere, camel, wool, or some other, more exotic yarn, then I know I'm not going to get it for three dollars a skein, ball or whatever. If I want to sample the yarn, then going to a yarn shop is a good idea, because you don't have to wait on shipping. 

I usually buy my yarn from Joann's, because the store has a large selection and it's in a mall about 5 minutes from my house with lots of free parking. Unfortunately, Joann's was out of "garden". I looked for some others that might work, but when I knitted up a sample, it came out looking more like variations on blues than purples. I did have some lavender, purple and a navy blue in my stash in Simply Soft, though and went with that, using two strands held together. Simply Soft is a category 3-ish, so the resulting fabric is a bit heavier than it would have been using a category 5. BUT, it IS soft, and easy care. Most importantly though, it is PURPLE.

The Simple Lace shawl pattern is triangular shawl in an eyelet pattern. You alternate the colors. I made two rows with the purple and blue held together with the eyelets done in the lavender. It is knitted in three panels. I really like the way the panels are joined on this. The center panel is done first, making a kind of chevron. It is knitted from the top down. Then you turn it sideways and pick up stitches from one of the edges. The edge panels decrease continually as you go, so at the end you are left with three stitches you knit together. I took the yarn ends of all three colors I used and knotted them together, making kind of a tassel on each side.

Middle section is knitted first.

This side was picked up first. I had to change purples, which doesn't show up so well in this photo.

I did this side last. The tassel doesn't show up very well on this one.  But at least I remembered to get a photo!

Spring Ruana, full length, on my kitchen table.

Close up of V-Stitch pattern.

Spring Ruana, folded.

There are two versions of the Spring Ruana pattern, a knitted version and a crocheted version. Ths is the link for the crocheted : http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/L20086.html?noImages=. I chose to work the crochet pattern because of time constraints. I have been crocheting since I was 9 and I am faster and more accurate with that. For a pattern I'd never worked, I wanted to be comfortable with the stitches.

There are two stitch patterns in this shawl. The border pattern consists of alternating double and single crochet stitches, with a two stitch repeat over two rows. The v-stitch pattern is a four stitch repeat over two rows.

The original pattern instructions call for the ruana to be done in three pieces and then assembled: two scarves in the v-stitch, joined by a shorter middle panel in the border pattern. Sewing makes my fingers go numb, so I made a couple of changes. I worked the pattern as one piece, adding up the stitches for each part. I worked the middle panel in the v-stitch in the same way as the two lace panels. I did not double the border pattern for the middle panel.

I think I did a very good job on these. I am currently working on making a scarf in a matching pattern for each shawl. I am starting with the scarf for the ruana pattern, because it is easier...you just make one of the lace panels. The simple shawl, however won't be that simple, because I don't want to make it with doubled yarn for a scarf. More on those next post.