Leading the parade of accessory projects from our Mood Swings 2017 club, Polypore was a popular shawl right off the bat. With its intriguing hem shapes and deliciously wavy pattern embracing a crescent-shaped garter stitch body, this design was attractive to the color enthusiasts, technique junkies, and shawl lovers among us.
Its ability to be knit in a single, luxury shade, a variegated colorway, and two (or more!) contrasting colors gives it that special flexibility a club knit requires—there is something for everyone here.
Get a subtle and elegant approach by working with a single shade of The G.O.A.T. Lace. With this option, the openwork is more of a feature, as is the textural depth of the garter stitch stripes—a great way to show off a single skein of luxury yarn.
The hem begins with a very large cast-on number that is quickly reduced after a few simple stockinette rows to form a curling, organic edge.
The design was inspired by groupings of bracken mushrooms (or polypores) that I discovered while walking Cardigan in the rain last spring. When I saw their shaped edges, I immediately thought, what a pretty shawl hem that would be!
Using two colors or a single variegated colorway enhances the dramatic wave motion within the stitch pattern and the short row shaping of the shawl body. You could also use a contrasting yarn type, rather than a contrasting color—pairing Modern Deco Lace, for instance, with The G.O.A.T. Lace to create shiny contrasting bands and liquid body in garter stitch. A bit more subtle but still a standout feature.
Polypore and the complete Mood Swings ebook are available for purchase, a collection of patterns with a focus on color. Please share your photos in our Ravelry group or tag us on Instagram (@knitspot or @barenakedwools) along the way!
