Fawkes is a mohair and merino shawl. You'll need three skeins to knit this extra-large shawl, perfect for wrapping around your shoulders when the weather gets a bit chilly.
The pattern is available on Ravelry or on Lovecrafts.
Fawkes, a large, enveloping shawl
1. The story of Fawkes, this great shawl
A few months ago, well before the lockdown, I had the chance to participate in the Wool Festival near Paris.
Was there too Arco Iris Yarns.
On his stand were skeins of Mohawk, a sublime blend of silk and mohair with a touch of polyamide.
A ray of sunlight fell straight onto a few skeins in a luminous russet orange called Galactic Fox. I'm sure they called me!
I knew I was going to make a very large, enveloping shawl to wear when it gets a little colder, when you can still afford to chat on the terrace in the evening but the weather is getting cooler. It's an image that regularly comes to mind: in Nordic countries, you have blankets available on terraces so you can stay outside even if it's windy and cold. It's a bit like my own image of Epinal.
2. The construction of this shawl
You probably know if you follow me on social media that I love shawls and have already explored different constructions.
This is a semi-circular shawl starting with a garter stitch cast on and distributing the increases throughout the row.
Next, you will approach a part where the lace and garter stitch sections follow one another.
And you will finish with a lace section decorated with bobbles and then you will fold down in picots.
3. What level of knitting is required to knit Fawkes?
This pattern is not very complicated to knit, it is intended for stubborn beginners and intermediate knitters.
The most difficult points you might encounter are:
- the final lace part and the length of the rows
- bobbles – I posted a video on YouTube about this for another pattern in which I used bobbles: Ho Oden
- The type of yarn chosen: a mohair yarn can be a bit tricky to manage when you're a beginner. Mohair is quite difficult to unravel if you make a mistake, but if you use a lifeline, this shouldn't be a problem.
4. Where to buy the pattern?
The pattern is for sale on the site Ravelry in French and English, available for immediate download. It is also available on the website Lovecrafts in English and Makerist in French.
To understand bobbles, I suggest you watch the video below:
6. The wool and materials needed to knit this shawl
The suggested yarn is Arco Iris Yarns Mohawk (69% silk, 22% mohair, 9% polyamide) 350 m / 100 g color Galactic Fox approximately 950 m or 3 skeins
You can of course use another composition such as a mixture of alpaca and silk as long as this wool gives you a certain halo.
The necessary equipment is as follows:
- 3.75 mm circ. needle 100cm long
- 1 tapestry needle
- 4 markers
7. Why Fawkes?
Finally, why name him Fawkes?
Fawkes or Fumseck in French is Dumbledore's phoenix.
It's red and gold in color, and when it spreads its wings, it's quite impressive in size. Ludivine, the dyer behind Arco Iris Yarns, is a Harry Potter fan, so it seemed logical to call this shawl Fawkes.
I hope you'll fall in love with this shawl and that this article will make you want to knit it.
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See you soon,
Christelle
