color stripes shawl recipe/improvisation

Okay, so here's what I did. I've been making triangle shawls for a few weeks now (a few months?!?) and I've caught on to the top-down, increase 4 stitches every other row, centered-spine triangle shawl construction method.

I have seen a few patterns around that I like, such as Daybreak, but none have been exactly what I wanted. So, I improvised. I love the look of the stripes alternating solids and a color changing yarn - it's a great way to stretch pricier color changing yarns and avoid pooling (I'm not a fan). On a triangle shawl, the diagonal, downward pointing lines are pretty flattering, regardless of where the shawl is work (back or front). I looked up the technique and noticed that twisting the yarns at changes is recommended; it creates a nicer edge.

I had these two skeins of yarn set aside for this particular type of project. Most of the shawls that I have made recently have been of fingering/sock weight yarn, but I wanted to create a sturdier shawl, something nice enough to wear in public but also warm and cozy (perhaps could double as a little chair blanket during a stolen lunchtime nap?). These yarns are slightly different in weight but it doesn't create a major problem - the stripes have different textures due to the differences in fiber content.

I did a garter tab cast-on in my solid color for 6 rows, picked up three in the garter bumps and two on the cast-on edge, and began to work in stockinette. I did a two-stitch garter border, increasing one on each edge end on every knit row. I did a yo/k1/yo for the center on every knit row, and placed stitch markers on either side of my k1 center stitch. I did 1 knit row and 1 purl row for each color, twisting them as I changed at the beginning of every other knit row. I worked in this way until I finished the last full row of Boku that I could manage with my remaining yarn (ended up w/ appx 3 yards of yarn left over).
I then finished in [Scalloped Edges border][1] in my gorgeous solid color. It is a ten-stitch repeat, so I did a row of stockinette before starting the edging to get the appropriate number of stitches - I'm thinking I ended up with 190 stitches? 180? and increased somehow to get the right stitch count because I maintained my center spine st and my garter edging throughout (which accounts for 5 stitches per row).




[1]: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/scalloped-edges