The Hayward Shawl is Here with a Kit Giveaway!

The log cabin in Hayward, Wisconsin

Hi, Knitters,

Well, there is just so much going on around here it is hard to keep up! First, I want to thank you all for the overwhelming response to my son's small business class project, Corcoa. The number of orders for the coasters have been off-the-charts and so unexpected. I never could have predicted such a positive and supportive response. My son is working so hard (night and day, literally) trying to make the orders and to get them shipped out in a timely fashion. As you might imagine, the Knitting Coaster Set is the most popular by a landslide. I believe an "A" is coming his way.

So my heartfelt appreciation is being sent to all of you, dear Knitters. Thank you, friends. 

Secondly, the lucky winner of the 9 beautiful skeins of Manos Silk Blend is kmacmillan2003 (rav id)!! Katherine is from Saskatchewan, Canada so I know she needs a handknit sweater or two in her closet. The Manos will come in handy. I have already contacted her. Congratulations! 

Now, for even more big news today I have a brand-new shawl pattern that is available as of today! I have been anxiously waiting for the word from Infinite Twist as to when the kit is being launched and I woke up to an email from Cate Carter, the owner and creative force behind Infinite, telling me that the Hayward shawl kit is now available.

Hayward Shawl

Let me start at the beginning for a brief moment. Last fall, I released another shawl pattern with Infinite Twist called the Prairie Ridge Shawl. I am so proud of the Prairie Ridge Shawl and everywhere I go to teach I have people talk to me about this shawl. I have seen it made in the original handspun from Infinite Twist as many bought the kit version and I have seen it made in beautiful sock yarns and dk weight and sport weight yarns as well. I have seen a lot of versions made in Madelinetosh yarns for some reason. The shawl works beautifully in any weight. The reason I am bringing the Prairie Ridge Shawl up now is because I did a blog post that explains the yarn company Infinite Twist in great detail. 

Please click here to read about Infinite Twist and the interesting story behind the owner and company!

Click here to find out more about the downloadable pattern for the Prairie Ridge Shawl.

The Prairie Ridge Shawl was such a big hit that when Cate came out with a new commercial yarn called Helix (a DK weight yarn) she asked if I would like to design another shawl for her company with her new yarn. Of course I would love to and have done just that. Click here to find out more about Helix. It's 100% springy merino wool.

Here is the vital information and description for this light as air crescent-shaped shawl:

By the way, after the holidays I am planning a potential knit along for the Hayward shawl. Let me know if you are interested in joining me.

Click here for the Ravelry pattern page for Hayward!

The pattern is now available in KIT form from Infinite Twist! There are 4 great colors to choose from and the kits are beautifully pulled together by the talented owner of Infinite Twist, Cate Carter. The kit price starts at $56 and includes options and free shipping to the US and China! 
Click here to go directly to the kit information! 
In two months (December 2014) the individual pdf pattern will be available in Susan’s Ravelry pattern shop for download.

From Susan:
The Hayward Shawl was created and knitted during a fantastic week in August that my family spent in Hayward, a sleepy little tourist town deep in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

The shawl is a long crescent shape with stockinette stitch, garter stitch, and a couple of very simple lace patterns that reflect the ripples and tiny waves in the small crystal clear blue lake next to our log cabin.

The Clear Water colorway was chosen for the original sample because both the skies and the lakes were the deepest, clearest shades of blue - both bright and dark, exactly like the Helix yarn in front of me. I couldn’t take my eyes off either of them, the yarn or the natural surroundings.

This top-down crescent-shaped shawl is a joy to knit, being both simple and interesting at the same time.

About this Pattern
Skill Level: Beginner / Intermediate
Skills Needed: Basic knitting skills, plus increases (yo, kfb).
Finished Size:
Wingspan: 72 inches / 180 cm Depth at center: 16 inches / 40 cm
Yarn:
Infinite Twist Helix, 600 yds / 200 grams. Samples shown in Clear Water and Lichen.
Needles:
U.S. size 6 / 4.0 mm circular, 32 inch / 80 cm long, or any size yielding correct gauge. U.S. size 7 / 4.5 mm circular, 32 inch / 80 cm long, or any size yielding correct gauge. U.S. size 8 / 5.0 mm circular, 32 inch / 80 cm long, or any size yielding correct gauge. 

This pattern is offered for personal, non-commercial use only, and © Susan B. Anderson, 2014. Used with permission by Infinite Twist. Visit infinitetwist.com for patterns, tutorials, and knitting kits.

Gauge (before blocking):
On smallest size needle: 22 sts over 4 inches / 10 cm in stockinette stitch On middle size needle: 20 sts over 4 inches / 10 cm in stockinette stitch On largest size needle: 18 sts over 4 inches / 10 cm in stockinette stitch

Notions: 30 stitch markers (if you want to mark off your lace repeats), yarn needle.

Abbreviations
K - knit
k1-yo-k - k1, but don’t drop the stitch off the left needle, yo, then knit the stitch again (2 sts increased).
Kfb - knit into the front and back of the stitch (1 st increased).
P - purl
RS - right side
st(s) - stitch(es)
WS - wrong side

For more information, see: http://infinitetwist.com

Here are some photos of the shawl for you to enjoy (and yes, that's me modeling in my kitchen!).

I am so incredibly proud of this long, lovely and versatile shawl. It is knit in 660 yards of the Helix dk weight yarn which is dyed to perfection. It is a tonal variegated yarn and I had no trouble with pooling or adding in new skeins. The shape of the shawl, a long crescent, is one of my most ideal shawl shapes as you can wear it so many different ways.

Please check out Infinite Twist by clicking here to find out about the kit! The price is incredibly reasonable. 

What a great holiday gift idea for all of the knitters in your life! 

There are 2 kit options:

1. Full kit includes pattern, yarn in color of choice, needles and stitch markers.

or

2. Yarn and pattern ONLY!

Shipping is free for the US and China (where Cate is located)! The kit starts at $56. That is so reasonably priced that I don't know how Cate can do it. Please, if you are interested, check out Infinite Twist. It is a good company to follow.

The individual pdf pattern will be available for download at the end of December 2014 from my Ravelry pattern shop! So favorite or queue the pattern now if you only want the pattern and it will be available very soon.

Click here for the Hayward pattern and project page on Ravelry!

I'll leave you with a couple of photos from the Hayward trip and the podcast episode that I taped while I was on vacation in case you missed it last August. I take you on a canoe trip at the end where you can see the blue sky reflected in the glassy lake water in the quaint and charming Hayward, Wisconsin.

Enjoy! Let me know what you think of the new shawl.

Giveaway time!

Please leave a comment if you would like to enter to win a full kit in your choice of color from Infinite Twist! Please only leave one comment that includes your email or Ravelry username. Please be patient for your comment to appear.

Have a great week! I'll be back soon with more.

Let the comments begin to enter to win a full kit from Infinite Twist for the Hayward Shawl!
Good luck!
xo ~ susan