I last saw my grandmother on Thanksgiving a few years ago, before we had kids. We drove eight hours into a snowstorm (it dumped about a foot of snow on the east coast the day before Thanksgiving) so that we could be there in time to have Thanksgiving dinner at the nursing home. It was one of the top five most terrifying car rides of my life. But I’m so grateful to have those memories.
My grandmother was an avid knitter and crocheter, and a lot of what I know about yarn, I owe to her. After she passed away, my mom went through her yarn stash and offered to let me choose what I wanted. Grandma had a lot of yarn. Way more than I could keep. But I took this Lighthouse Ocean Sunset Ombre Yarn—thirteen skeins of 100% wool. The colors aren’t anything that I would normally use (scroll back through previous posts and you can see that I tend toward blues and purples, and I avoid pinks and oranges like the plague), but it’s so soft and warm, and there was enough of it to make something. Not quite enough for a blanket, but enough for a nice big shawl.
This yarn isn’t easy to find anymore (I’m not sure how long Grandma had it in her stash, and I’ve had it for years)—you may be able to find it on Ebay, Ravelry, or Amazon, because, let’s face it, you can find just about anything online if you look hard enough. But you could also use the more readily available Lion Brand Scarfie yarn (also an ombre), which is the same weight (category 5). You could also substitute any yarn and the corresponding needles—this exceptionally simple pattern can be done with any yarn weight.
What you’ll need:
- Lighthouse Ocean Sunset Ombre Yarn, 13 skeins, in Rose (75yd/50g per skein, 975yd/650g total), or Lion Brand Scarfie, about 3 skeins
- Size 10.5, 36 inch circular needles
Skills you’ll need:
Finished/blocked measurements:
- Short sides: 54 inches
- Long side: 81.5 inches
Cast on 4 stitches.
First row: k4
Next row, and all subsequent rows: k1, k1fb, k to end
Repeat this row until shawl is desired size. Bind off. Sew under all ends.
Block it, wear it, and love it.
Do you have any knitted items that remind you of someone special?
