Lookit what I made, it’s so cool! 🙂

Project: Fairy Rings

Pattern: Miss Winkle

Designer: Martina Behm

Available: €3.60 EUR on Ravelry

Yarn: A Hundred Ravens Iachos  in “Frances and the Leaping Fairy”

So … I think we all know how hard it can be to find a good pattern for a high-contrast multi-colored skein of hand-dyed yarn.  For instance, take a look at this skein:

In terms of colors, the white, coral, and green all contrast sharply.  The tone of the saturated green and color are about the same, as you can see in the black-and-white version, but there is a strong contrast between the white and the most saturated “grey” ends of the skein. This is a colorway that will be stripey, and would overwhelm any but the most simple lace pattern.

BUT — it’s perfect for garter stitch, especially if the project has a variable stitch count to help avoid big pools of color. Martina Behm’s Hitchhiker is a perfect example of a simple pattern in garter stitch that increases gradually from a small cast-on to a broad end … it’s classic!  Martina seems to have made this sort of shawl/scarf a bit of a speciality.  What I like about Miss Winkle is the awesome loopy edge.  I need something to help hold my attention when working garter stitch, and this was just the thing.  An unexpected side-benefit of the loops is that they concentrate the color.  I estimate that each loop uses about half a round of the skein, so many progress through all three main colors. It helps “pop” the colors in the garter stitch…. and also, they are so cool!!

The curve of this kind of shawl happens naturally — the neck edge has kfb on both RS and WS rows, so it “pulls” a bit.