Knitting has helped us get through a lot of stress over the last 12 months, especially for me over the last month. Knowing that not just the craft of knitting, but also the community of fellow knitters gives us strength and happiness can be a huge source of comfort and inspiration. Frankie of PythonCharms, Eve of Eve Chambers Textiles, and I strengthened our bond of friendship in spite of being apart and it resulted in our Planetary Sisters collaboration and Countdown Calendar. Which was such fun to create from scratch. I interviewed Frankie and Eve about their work, so if you’d like to get to know them more, check out these posts. Interview with Frankie, PythonCharms. Interview with Eve Chambers Textiles, Hand-dyer.
The best part of a KAL is the community connections. I hope you join us and become part of our Planetary Sisterhood. We want to make sure there is no pressure (because 2020 was pressure enough), so you can start any time, finish any time, and go at your own pace. We are cheering one another on in a supportive, inclusive group. Along the way, we’d love to see you share your KAL pics with the hashtag #CassiopeiaKAL. To sign up for our Cassiopeia Mini Skein Shawl KAL, visit PythonCharms site.
About the KAL – #CassiopeiaKAL
On January 20th we’ll cast on, with a Zoom party, and get on the way! Though there is a start date for the KAL, you can start at any point in the pattern, be it your cast on, cast off, or anywhere in-between.
To sign up for our Cassiopeia Mini Skein Shawl KAL, visit PythonCharms site.
It isn’t about the race to the finish, so much as enjoying the journey. We wanted to share in that sense of sisterhood and community by hosting a KAL for the pattern that was included in the Countdown Calendar – my Cassiopeia Mini Skein Shawl.
There will be a Zoom get together every couple of weeks for us all to visit and touch base about progress, but mostly for the chance to chat. For pattern questions, you can email me. And along the way, we’d love to see you share your KAL pics with the hashtag #CassiopeiaKAL.
About the Pattern – Cassiopeia Mini Skein Shawl
The Cassiopeia Wrap helps all the beautiful mini skeins you’ve collected shine. This shawl is knit on the bias with easy-to-memorize stitches, making for an approachable wrap. The stitch pattern emulates the constellation after which the pattern is named with subtle W-shaped eyelets. I wrote a whole post about the Cassiopeia Mini Skein Shawl pattern.
The individual pattern is available from LoveCrafts or you can buy the entire ebook on Ravelry. Scroll down for details on the print edition of the book.
Construction/Shape: Bias rectangle knit side-to-side.
Finished measurements: Using 320 grams of 4ply/fingering/sock resulted in a voluminous wrap measuring 50cm (l) x 242cm (w) after blocking. In this sample, each 20-gram mini skein section equals about 4” (10cm) of rows. Adjust the number of mini skeins for your ideal length.
What Yarn to Use
For the sample pictured in this post, I used 16 20-gram mini skeins (a total of 320 grams total) from Eve Chambers Textiles, Mad Scientist Yarns, Mothy and the Squid, and My Mama Knits. But you do not need this exact combination of yarns to make this pattern.
The Cassiopeia Mini Skein Shawl can be knit with scraps, mini skeins, or even three 100g skeins in a fade or striped combination you love. This works really well as a stash busting project, using mini skeins, scraps, and partial balls of yarn. Any colors, any order, have some fun! I recommend using at least 240 grams sock weight yarn (or 12 30g mini skeins).
For this #CassiopeiaKAL, I will be knitting with my Eve Chambers Sunrise Countdown Calendar from the Planetary Sisters 2020 collaboration. It includes 12 20g mini skeins in a pastel fade that reminds me Xanadu.
Notes: Modelled by Evin. Styled by Martina Leahy. Photo by Niall Twamley.
Ultraviolet Knits
The Cassiopeia Mini Skein Shawl is from my latest book, Ultraviolet Knits: Twelve knitting patterns featuring UV-reactive hand-dyed wool (Anchor and Bee, 2020), which was released at the end of March. Nothing like launching a book at the start of a pandemic, right? This collection features 12 original accessory knitting patterns designed with black light-reactive hand-dyed wool-based yarns.This collection is inspired by the night’s sky, some from the view from Earth, such as star-gazing from a porch swing, while others pay homage to astronomy. Each of the 12 accessory patterns works well with bold, speckled, and vibrant yarns as well as semi-solid and neutrals, making the designs well suited for using those treasured skeins in your yarn collection. These accessory designs are excellent for travel knitting given their size. For festival-goers or everyday use, these finished objects are ones you’ll want to wear.
