The best shawl for this Autumn!
Fawkes is a knitted shawl made of mohair and merino. You will need three skeins to knit this very large shawl that wraps around the shoulders when it’s a little bit chilly.
The pattern is available on Ravelry or on Lovecrafts.
Fawkes a huge and warm shawl to Knit and Wear this Autumn
1. The story behind this huge shawl
A few months ago, long before the lockdown, I had the chance to participate at the Fête de la Laine’s yarn show near Paris.
There was also Arco Iris Yarns.
On her stand there were Mohawk skeins, a sublime blend of silk and mohair with a touch of nylon.
A ray of sunshine fell straight on a few skeins in a bright reddish orange called Galactic Fox. I’m sure they called me!
I knew I was going to make a very huage shawl to wear when it’s a little bit colder, when you can still afford to chat on the terrace in the evening but the weather is getting cooler. This is an image that I regularly remember: in the Nordic countries, you have plaids available on the terraces so that you can stay outside even if it is windy and cold. This is a bit like my own image d’Epinal.
2. The construction of this huge shawl
You certainly know if you follow me on social networks that I love shawls and that I have already explored different constructions.
This one is a semi-circular shawl starting with a garter tab cast-on and distributing increases throughout the row for the first section.
Then you will start a part where the lace and garter stitch sections follow one another.
And you will finish with a lace section embellished with nupps and then you will bind off using Picot Bind-Off
3. What level is needed to knit Fawkes?
This pattern is not very complicated to knit, it is intended for obstinate beginners and intermediate knitters.
The most difficult points you might encounter are:
- the final lace part and the length of the rows
- nupps – I posted a video on YouTube for another pattern in which I used nupps: Ho Oden
- the type of yarn I used: a mohair yarn that can be a little complicated to handle when you are a beginner. Mohair is quite difficult to unravel in case of mistakes but if you place a lifeline, this should not be a problem.
4. Where to buy the pattern?
The pattern is available on Ravelry in French and English for immediate download. It is also available on Lovecrafts and Makerist.
To understand how to knit nupps, I suggest you watch the video below:
5. Which yarn and material are suggested for knitting this shawl?
The suggested yarn is Arco Iris Yarns Mohawk (69% Silk, 22% Mohair, 9% .
Nylon) 350 m / 100 g colorway Galactic Fox approx. 950 m
Of course, you can use another yan such as a blend of alpaca and silk as long as this yarn gives a certain halo.
Notions and needles required are as follow:
- 100 cm (40″) 3.75 mm (US5) circ needle
- Tapestry needle
- Stitch markers
6. Why Fawkes?
Finally, why did I name it Fawkes?
Fawkes is the phoenix of Dumbledore.
He is red and gold in color and when he spreads his wings, it is quite impressive because of his size. Ludivine, the dyer behind Arco Iris Yarns, is a Harry Potter fan, so it seemed logical to call this shawl Fawkes.
I hope this huge shawl will make you fall for it and that this article will make you want to knit it.
If you would like to share comments and feedback, please feel free to do so below.
If you want to share this article with other people don’t hesitate to relay it via social medias (just click on the buttons here below).
See you soon,
Christelle
