Getting Out of the Way

Pattern choice is a challenging part of knitting. There are books, classes, websites, and many helpful notes on Ravelry about pairing yarn to pattern, choosing what will best show off the yarn overs in lace or those lovely cables. And then there are yarns you seek a pattern for where you'll get something beautiful but where you are not in the way of the yarn. Rather than focusing on the stitches, instead you are aiming for the dyer's work to be forefront to what catches the passerby's glance. 

This was my challenge for Onyx Fiber Arts DK in the Burst Colorway.  

Fortunately, the pattern Bad Nut  by Josh Ryks-Robinsky was up to the task. 

The pattern is straight-forward and clearly written, mixing stretches of garter and stockinette with wrap-and-turns in a way that could be easily extended.  Despite having fairly similar yarn (same yardage per grams), I did, however run out halfway through section 5. If I'd chosen a different bind off from the one listed in the pattern, which is a yarn hog, I probably could have completed section 5.  

I don't think too many people will notice though when it's being worn. 

This is not a small shawl, you'll notice that it's six blocking squares wide and just over three from point to bottom.  It's long enough to wrap around and have decently long dangling points or to tie if you're my sized.  

It's not the easiest to photograph -- rainbow yarns rarely are. But it's incredibly squishy and will be a delightful pop of color on the colder winter days when everything else has gone to dreary grays and browns. 

For now, it's off to the gift bin and I am returning to some deadline knitting that really, truly should have been on the needles long before now.  Has anyone else noticed that it's a month until Christmas??