Last March, I posted the fiber I got from Briar Rose Fibers for the Ply by Night Ravelry spin-along.  It was a mix of interesting colors, and I really had no idea how it would look spun into yarn.  The colors were misted throughout the top, not done in sections like most fiber I had worked with.  I decided to jump right in and see what would happen.  For me, the spin-along was all about the learning process, and I wasn’t concerned with what my finished yarn might look like.

By May, I had spun the four ounces into a single. After spinning, I was measured the length of the single and discovered that I had approximately 300 yards. I was worried that I wouldn’t have a good use for 150 yards of a bulky yarn.  I was also concerned that plying it would muddy the subtle color changes in the yarn, and I really wanted to preserve them.  So, I decided to leave it as a single, and try to find a pattern that would suit it.

Since I really liked the yarn I had spun, I wanted a project that would show the beauty of the yarn and not cause too much wear on the delicate single.  I settled on the idea of a small shawl.  That time last year predates the explosion of small shawl patterns that are now all over Ravelry, so it was a bit of work to find one that I thought would work.  I settled on the Little Arrowhead Shawl.  It had a simple pattern with basic edging, and could easily be adapted to the amount of yarn that I had.

This shawl sat unblocked in my closet until recently.  I blocked it and my Citron shawl at the same time.  This shawl was the first item I ever knit out of my handspun.  It is the project that really convinced me that continuing with spinning would allow me to create yarns that I would like to knit with.  Up until then, I enjoyed spinning, but wasn’t really sure where it fit into my overall crafting agenda.

I’m really pleased with the way the shawl highlights the color changes in the yarn.  I do think the two were a good match.  I wish that I had used a slightly larger needle to make it a bit more open and also a little larger, but it’s a nice, warm, small shawl. 

The pattern is available free online as one of the staff projects from the Interweave Knits, Summer 2006 issue.  It’s also in the Interweave Knits, Accessories 2009 issue.

Pattern: Little Arrowhead Shawl
Designer: Pam Allen
Source: Interweave Knits
Yarn: handspun
Fiber:  Briar Rose Fibers Blue Faced Leicester
Yardage: 310 yards
Needles: US7 (4.5mm)
Finished size:  22 inches tall x 48 inches wide

Started: May 3, 2009
Completed: May 10, 2009