Do you crochet shawls? When I first started designing I was convinced I would never make one let alone design one. How do you wear one? What do you do with them if you don't wear them? Well, seems other people like them and do donate or give them away, so I started to design them as well. They are fun. So many stitch options and shapes.
For the longest time I had a box of shawls.... then my friend Mary said she would take them to a seniors home and to a hospice. Thank you Mary! The perfect solution to the shawl problem lol.
Last winter I decided to try a triangle shawl where you start in the corner and increase on one side to make the shape. This is my favorite way to make/design a triangle shawl. The rows don't get as long as a "regular" triangle where you start in the center on the top and the rows get soooooo long by the end.
Another favorite way to create a triangle shawl is to start at the bottom and increase at both ends of the row. I don't mind this way of making a shawl. It's easy to adjust how wide you want it, but as with all shawls, the wider it gets the longer it gets.
A few years ago I decided to create 3 patterns using gradient colors. Not as easy as you would think. You need a design that is sort of in sections, or something where color changes don't matter, or use different stitch patterns. I tend to get bored easily so usually opt for the different stitches lol.
This one was created with 4 different colors. I had a 5th color, but it was tweedish and just didn't look quite right so I left it out.
My least favorite triangle design is where you start at the top in the center and the shawl grows and rows get LONG towards the end. They are the prettiest way to make a triangle shawl, but by the time it's wide enough at the top the rows are so long. They can be a challenge to design as well since the rows are increased at each end so you have to make the stitch pattern work with the increases.
This is my latest shawl design (below). It starts in the corner and the rows increase on one side only. I did ask the testers for this shawl what they thought of the way it's designed. They weren't fond of starting in the corner and increasing this way. Can't remember why though lol. Most people prefer the last option, start in the center at the top and grow from there.
Even though this is not those testers favorite way to make a triangle shawl, it's mine, so I will probably do a few more like this lol. Don't worry - I will still design the other styles as well.
YARN:
Yes I do have a few favorite yarns for shawls. I've tried quite a few dk & light worsted weight yarns over the years, and will probably try more new yarns for shawls this year. But here are my top 4 so far in no particular order.
Estelle Yarns Worsted (50% Acrylic,40% Wool, 10% Nylon, 200 meters, 100 grams)
Mary Maxim Mellowspun DK (100% Acrylic, 284 yards / 260 meters, 3.5 ounces / 100 grams)
Stylecraft Special DK (100% Acrylic, 322 yards / 295 meters, 100 grams) 3 skeins
Sidar Jewelspun (100% Acrylic, 546 yards / 500 meters, 200 grams)
All of the yarns are amazing to crochet with, easy to unravel (very important when designing), no splitting and soft. Though I will say that the Sidar Jewelspun doesn't unravel quite as easily as the other yarns. But I still love it and will continue to use it.
Quite a few designers I have talked to create shawls with worsted weight yarn. I haven't tried this yet, but it's on my "to-do" list. I know - the Estelle Yarn says it's worsted but it's a light worsted, what I would call Aran weight.
You can find my shawl patterns on Ravelry, Etsy and here on the website. I don't have all of the patterns here on the website, still working on that.
Do you have a favorite triangle shawl that you like to crochet? Which type of design do you prefer? Or maybe you like a totally different shape. I would love your thoughts!
Feel free to post a photo and explanation about your project in a post on the Canoe Mtn Designs Crochet & Friends FB group page. Make sure you mention if you post that it's in response to my blog post about Triangle Shawls :)
Thank you for reading my post! Happy Crocheting!
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