Skywalker Shawl

---

Instructions

Laura gives really great, step-by-step directions, so I did exactly what she said. Print out all of the course materials, especially the larger sized charts. I relied on the charts (and my ever present post it notes), particularly during rows 13 and 21 of the planet stitch. Go slowly and eliminate distractions during this repeat because it was the only one that gave me any trouble. The rest of the pattern was pretty easy, even for a novice lace knitter like myself. Laura gives really great, step-by-step directions, so I did exactly what she said. Print out all of the course materials, especially the larger sized charts. I relied on the charts (and my ever present post it notes), particularly during rows 13 and 21 of the planet stitch. Go slowly and eliminate distractions during this repeat because it was the only one that gave me any trouble. The rest of ...
Read full instructions »

---

Difficulty:

Category: Knitting

Type of item: Accessory

For: Women

Style: Traditional, Classic

---

Materials

Peruvian Collection Baby Cashmere Fingering Weight by Elann.com, almost four 100 meter balls, and size 4 Knitpicks Nickel plated interchangeable circulars (my favorite needles).

What was your inspiration?

Laura Nelkin's style of teaching. I'm a long time knitter, but I never had any success knitting lace shawl projects. After watching Laura's Craftsy class preview, I was confident that she would be just the right teacher for me.

What are you most proud of?

I love that I finally got to use this awesome yarn for something so beautiful without abandoning the project out of frustration, which has happened numerous times. Even though I've been a knitter for many years, I learned so many tips and techniques that I can generalize to other projects.

What advice would you give someone starting this project?

Be patient and trust Laura's advice. Watch her demonstrate first, then use the 30 second rewind before tackling unfamiliar techniques or complicated patterns. Print out the charts and the regular pattern sheets. Read through the pattern sections first before you start them because some of the rows are not demonstrated in Laura's video.

Invest in some blocking materials if you don't have them. Unfortunately, I was too impatient to wait for mine to arrive in the mail. ;) Instead, I used the knitting needle method which is inadequate.

I used size US 4 needles so my shawl is only about 44" in diameter and about 21in from top to bottom. Next time, I'll likely go up to a US 5 or US 6 needle.