They say two heads are better than one. That’s especially true when those heads belong to two talented knitters and shop owners! In this case, it started with a “recipe” that Shelli Westcott, owner of Knitterly, came up with for a self-fringing shawl. She shared it with Shelley Brander, owner of Loops, who added a bit of her own flavor and created a beautiful new pattern, Fringeworthy.
So how did Shelley personalize her design? It started with the yarn. She picked two shades of Berroco Flicker, switching to the darker shade three-quarters of the way through. Shelley also chose to knit the body in garter stitch instead of stockinette and she created a more gradual v-shape by using a four-row pattern repeat for increases and decreases instead of two.
The shawl is knit as one piece from side-to-side and then comes the fun part – ripping back to reveal the fringe! Shelley calls this the “cringe-worthy” moment but promises it isn’t as bad as it sounds. Want to make a Fringeworthy of your own? You can get the free pattern on the Loops blog!
Find Berroco Flicker at your LYS
How did you choose a yarn for your design?
I picked a yarn I love, Flicker, because I knew it would be super soft on the bigger needles and would resist pilling due to the chainette construction. I also love knitting Flicker at this bigger gauge because I think the tiny bits of sparkle really catch the light. I switched to the second color on a whim, but I love the (unintended) effect that when you wear it bandana-style, it appears that you’re wearing two scarves in layers!
Any knitting disaster stories?
I have a gazillion disaster stories – I think this goes along with designing and is part of the process. You have to be fearless and push through those “cringe-worthy” moments.
If you could knit something for anyone in the world it would be…?
I would love to knit the next big thing for Jennifer Lawrence to wear in the final Hunger Games movie – my kids would think that is so cool! So Jennifer, if you’re reading this, call me!
What’s your favorite thing about knitting?
My favorite thing about knitting is that I can watch TV and be productive at the same time. I have knit for movie stars and I secured my first lease by knitting a cashmere scarf for my landlord!
Do you have a cool design you want to share? Or did you recently finish a project with Berroco yarn? You can email Ashley: apalumbo@berroco.com or post it to the Berroco Lovers forum in Ravelry.
One of the first things I knit, I think it was the first actually, was a self fringing shawl. I had a attended a Knit In Public at a local coffee shop. The woman hosting the event, Carol Fayer, who also runs the Midwest Fiber & Folk Art Fair, got me started knitting and walked me through how to do the self fringing. That was before I even new Ravelry existed. I should put that shawl on my page. I am still very proud of it.
Aw, this was an incredibly nice post. Finding the time and actual effort to
produce a very good article… but what can I say… I
hesitate a lot and never seem to get anything done.
The link leads to a 404 error. Is the pattern not only not free but no longer available?
Hi Chris, looks like the URL for the pattern changed slightly. You can now find it here: http://blog.loopslove.com/2014/01/fringeworthy-a-free-self-fringing-shawl-pattern/
Hello,
I need your help. I already have this pattern and have made 7 of these shawls, in various sizes. My problem is the printed paper has become tattered and worn and written all over. Is it possible to get another copy as I’m ready to start making them as gifts for those who need a warm hug? This pattern has gone through a lot. Thank you
Karen
Hi Karen – unfortunately this is not a Berroco pattern. I’d try reaching out to Shelley to see if she can get you a copy!