Embarked on Andrea Mowry's ultra-modern classic "Birds of a Feather" shawl about a month ago and pleased to report it's definitely worth the hype. One wonders about trending patterns — are they really all they're cracked up to be or is it just a thing everyone is doing? This shawl is a keeper. (Which of course is the reason I am giving mine away to a dear friend.)
Yarn notes: For this, I chose Asylum Fibers Madhouse, "Unafraid" and Lana Grossa Super Kid Mohair in colorway 086. So pink on pink. Compliments on the work in progress abound, with words such as "stunning" and "that's incredible."
Sidenote: If you have not yet experienced Asylum fibers, wait no longer. The yarn is wonderful in every possible way as is the joy of buying from a woman-owned small business.
Pattern notes: Birds of a Feather is brain candy once you get the "sl st-K2tog-psso" double decrease down — which requires moving the established marker at the spine when knitting on the right side. I doubted myself when moving the marker at first. But it's correct.
I also recall having trouble reading the difference between the right and wrong side in the beginning, so I marked the WS to keep myself sane. Once established it is easy to read the work and since it is garter, the only thing to watch for is the spine.
So at the spine... RS: sl st-K2tog-psso — which requires moving the marker and replacing it. WS: purl AFTER the marker.
The only other move in the shawl is the 2nd stitch YO, which is used on every row to create a delicate edge that grows and makes up for the RS center double decrease. This changes toward the end of the project when the WS YO simply gets dropped, creating a straight edge on one side.
Why I love this shawl over others:
1. This is knitting made modern. Unusual elements like the left-leaning spine and the straight edge make this a winner in my book.
2. The beauty of the finished object belies the ease of the pattern. It's just garter and a simple shell-like lace repeat.
3. The juxtaposition of fingering and mohair... in GARTER. The result is a wonderfully sturdy fabric in the fingering and a gossamer effect in the mohair.
Mine should be done in about a week. Will post!