I knit the Shawlography Shawl during my first mystery knit along, and I really enjoyed it! I had a few reservations at first, but each clue of Shawlography was a lot of fun. Keep Reading for my Shawlography Knitting Experience:
What is a MKAL?
A Mystery Knit Along (MKAL) is a community knitting event where a pattern is released in phases and the final design is revealed at the end.
I’ve participated in a few KALs before (where the design wasn’t a mystery), and I had a lot of fun. It’s nice to have some knitting friends to share your progress with and get inspiration from. My very first KAL was for the Le Pouf Sweater when I was still really new to knitting, and I really enjoyed the KAL process.
Reservations About Participating
I had some reservations about participating in a mystery KAL — What if I didn’t like the design? How would I know what colors to choose? It seemed like kind of a risk to find/buy yarn and spend so much time knitting on a design you have never even seen before.
Shawlography + Deciding to Participate
I ultimately decided to participate in the Shawlography MKAL because I know I enjoy the community aspect of a KAL, and I have been happy with all of the Stephen West patterns I’ve knit so far (and there’s been quite a few: Marled Magic, Briochevron Blanket, Pengweeno, Fantastitch, Penguono, Starflake, and Hiberknitting Cowl)
Part of participating in a mystery knit along is coming across new things you may not be expecting or may not like. It’s more about just enjoying the process of knitting, discovering something new as each clue is revealed, and experiencing the process with others.
Once I’d decided to knit the Shawlography by Stephen West, I started my search for the perfect color palette.
Choosing Colors
It’s hard to choose the perfect palette when you don’t know what the shawl will look like. I watched the MKAL 2021 Choosing Colors video to get some color inspiration.
I shared all about my color inspiration and deciding my color palette in this post.
I am super happy with my color palette. Even though I love speckled and variegated yarns, I also enjoyed knitting with more tonal/solids. I think the stitch definition looks super crisp and the contrast between colors really made the Shawlography design shine.
Assigning Colors
I got an email from Ravelry early Friday morning (10/8; release day) that the Shawlography pattern was updated. I downloaded the first clue to skim through and see what the different techniques would be.
With the MKALs, there is a lot of extra support through the linked tutorial videos and community discussion boards on Ravelry. The pattern links to a 56 minute long video just to help with Clue 1! So don’t worry if you aren’t familiar with a technique or the directions seem a little confusing, because the videos walk you through each step.
I started watching the Clue 1 Video to get an idea of my color placement. The pattern and the video give recommendations on how to assign each of your five colors, so I assigned my colors as follows:
- Color A – Yellow Brick Road
- Color B – Eric Northman
- Color C – Sansa
- Color D – Damask
- Color E – Boise de Rose
All of my yarn is Cashmerino from La Bien Aimee. I also had a bonus color – Pretty In Pink (Feather base) from Magpie Fibers incase I wanted a little extra fluffy texture held together.
Clue 1 (Sections 1 – 4)
The video for Clue 1 has a spoiler at the end where you can see the completed Sections 1 – 4. I jumped ahead get a quick look and see what I’d be knitting. I thought I saw some brioche or ribbing in Section 2, and some I-cord loops for Section 4. I wasn’t sure, but I was excited to get started on my Shawlography.
Section 1
The beginning of Shawlography is a little crescent with some lacy yarn over holes. I actually knit this section three times because I thought the left side of the I-cord looked weird. I watched the video, and mine looked the same as the sample so I was happy to move onto Section 2.
Section 2
This section really surprised me with its construction. You build out a random I-cord tail and then use short rows to create a little wedge.
At first glance from the Shawlography Clue 1 video, I initially thought this striping was a two-color brioche. I really liked this section because you are constantly striping colors, and the short rows just get faster and faster.
There are nine total wedges, and I decided to deviate from the pattern a little with my color placement. I mirrored my contrast colors for the wedges to have a symmetrical color pattern. I used C, A, D, E, C + Bonus, E, D, A, C, and thought the colors looked more balanced.
I think I may have done the wrap + turn too tight when I closed the gaps because I can see a little pop of the contrast color in certain rows. It doesn’t bother me too much, but I wonder if I did something wrong there.
I really like how my color B frames the little peeks of each contrast color. I was looking forward to blocking this section so the other colors could pop a little more.
Section 3
The Slip Stitch V section starts out with another color recommendation to ensure you have enough yardage of each color for the pattern. Since I made that minor color placement modification in Section 2, I really wanted to get back on track with the assigned color placement moving forward so I didn’t run out of any colors.
I was confused on where to start picking up stitches for this section. The pattern says to start along the I-cord cast-on corner and then knit along the right I-cord edge. I thought that meant the small right edge on section 2, but that didn’t make sense with the number of stitches it wanted me to knit, so I watched the video tutorial.
The video was super helpful and showed exactly where to pick up and knit. I had never knit this specific stitch before, but I’ve done other mosaic knitting in my Penguono Jacket, the Hiberknitting Cowl, and my first shawl — the Fantastitch.
I really enjoyed this section, creating the little triangles, and seeing all of my colors play together.
Section 4
I finished my I-cord Loops section on Wednesday morning, and was looking forward to the next clue.
This section was super strange to me, but definitely interesting. I don’t really like huge holes in my knitting, so I was happy to realize that these I-cord loops aren’t floppy, open holes. Instead, they are secured like a little arch and they give a fun 3D element — like a big hollow nupp. Even though they are a little weird, I like them and the texture they bring to the shawl.
Finished Clue 1
Clue 2 (Sections 5 – 9)
With Clue 2, I really wanted to embrace the mystery part of this MKAL a little more. I had spoiled Clue 1 right away by jumping to the end of the video, but I wanted Clue 2 to be more of a surprise.
On Friday, October 15th, I downloaded the second clue and read through what I would get to knit that week. I could tell I was in for a wild ride with everything from welts and bobbles to triangles!
Section 5
As I started getting ready to knit the Slip Stitch Columns, I was a little confused about what I was supposed to do with my Color B from the previous I-Cord Loop section. I had ended on a RS row and the pattern didn’t say to break the yarn or to slide the stitches over to work the RS again. I didn’t want to spoil anything and watch the video just yet, so I went on the “no spoiler discussion boards on Ravelry“. Right away I saw that someone had already posted the answer. I love knitting with so many other people on the same project together.
Section 5 was really fun and similar-looking to the Slip Stitch Cable section in the Fantastitch Shawl.
Section 6
Section 6 is the Welts section. I had knit welts before in my Pengweeno, and even modded more welts into my Penguono. I found that it is easier for me to have a lifeline in the very first knit row, so that I can easily find the correct purl bump to knit with at the end.
I insert a lifeline through my interchangeable needles and knit the first row. I love my Chiaogoo set because it’s super easy to add lifelines and to swap out to whatever needle/cable combination I need.
Section 6 had a little bit of an abrupt ending to me. You don’t actually create the welts in that section, and at the time, I was confused how there were going to be multiple welts.
Section 7
There is a call out at the beginning of section about the difference between two similar sounding techniques. I read through the instructions and was pretty sure I understood what I needed to do. One of the techniques is about “knitting into 10 rows below”, and I had seen a video Stephen made about the bubble stitch that had a similar technique:
I wanted to be extra sure I was right since this technique was new to me, so I watched the Clue 2 video where he demonstrated. The Clue videos are super helpful so you can see exactly what’s going on, and they also are timestamped in the description so you can jump to the exact part you need. I still didn’t want to spoil too much so I only watched the demonstration before giving it a shot.
Closing the Welts
I did not like knitting the first row of this section at all, but I’m really happy with how it looks. I used a second needle to pick up the five purl bumps on the WS so I could knit together with the live stitch. I still had my lifeline in, but I could have easily found the correct stitch without it. The different color surrounding stitches were like little guides to help you know where to pick up.
The welts are really pretty and I loved my color E that I was using. I just hated having to drop stitches and break my knitting momentum. I ended up removing my lifeline as I knit — I wanted to be sure my stitches were secure from knitting into the stitch below and not just held up by the lifeline. I took a lot of breaks from this row, but I was really happy with the final look.
Triangles
Once I was past that first row, Section 7 was a great break. You create these little triangles using mosaic knitting/slip stitches. This section went by really quickly for me and I loved the contrast between my colors C and B.
I put some stitch markers in at every 50 stitches to help me count easier when needed. Having stitch markers can also make it easier to locate any mistakes; you can evaluate each section or pattern easier.
Some of the floats are a little long slipped in the back; about as long as I felt comfortable without trying to carry the yarn. I was really mindful to keep my tension a tad looser so it didn’t pucker, and also had enough room to block out nicely.
Stitch Count Questions
Usually with shawls, at least the few I’ve knit, the number of stitches quickly grows during certain rows. There’s always some kind of increase row that almost doubles the stitch count, or at least more consistent increases throughout.
With this shawl so far, the stitch count had been the same for a few sections and I was starting to wonder what the final shape would be. Looking ahead to Section 9, it looked like we were moving toward some short rows; so maybe creating some cat ear wedges on top of our progress so far? I love having they mystery unfold as you knit!
Section 8
The bobbles section went a lot faster than the welts section for me. I had knit a similar nupp/bobble in my Magnolia Little sweater, but I think this technique was a little easier.
As I worked the WS row after creating the bobbles, I realized I missed closing one of the bobbles. I ended up binding off those stitches on the WS, and then knitting them all together on my next RS row. It worked out with out being too noticeable.
Section 9
The section 9 wedges were less like cat ears and more like sideways wings that filled out the crescent shape. I finally looked at some spoiler pictures of the second clue as I knit this section. I was glad I didn’t spoil this clue and just knit to the pattern. It was fun seeing everything unfold and trying out all the new techniques.
With section 9, I enjoyed the little break from the more complicated texture sections, and getting to stripe the colors in short rows. This section felt a little long though, and I was knitting into late Thursday night to finish on time for the next clue.
Once I finished section 9, I joined two cables together to lay it out flat and see my progress. I love how my colors play together and how it’s all coming together.
Finished Clue 2
Shawlography Progress Tracker + Time Keeping
While looking through the discussion boards on Ravelry, I found a Clue 2 Progress Tracker that Freya Juniper-Nine posted. I’ve never used a knitting tracker like this before and I really loved it! It’s so nice to be able to track your progress and also get an idea of your pace. Plus, it was really motivating to check off each box.
Clue 3 (Sections 10 – 11)
Section 10
I was really excited to see a brioche section in the third clue, released Friday, October 22nd. The pattern calls for colors A & B and you can actually choose between a mesh option and the brioche. I chose to do the two-color brioche, but I wasn’t sure what color placement I wanted to do. With brioche, I think a lighter color really pops on a dark background, but the pattern called for color B in the foreground which is my dark red color, and color A, the golden yellow, in the background.
I decided to go with the pattern recommendation, and I’m so glad I did. I like the yellow peeking in between the columns, and the dark burgundy looks so crisp in the foreground. The recommended color placement is really balanced and frames out the rest of the shawl.
Section 11
The crosses in section 11 were another technique that was new to me. Like I mentioned, I don’t really like holes in my knitting, and this section looked like it was going to be loose and holey.
Instead of wrapping the yarn multiple times to create the elongated stitches, I followed a tip from @Edler007 and just knit the stitches with a US 15 needle. Swapping out for a larger needle seemed to have the desired effect without the extra step of wrapping the yarn multiple times.
Overall, I think my crosses may be a little short than the wrapping technique would have created. I held color C with a strand of mohair for a fluffy texture. I don’t feel like my section 11 is too holey, in fact, my criss crosses are less like Xs and more just like right-leaning stitches.
I finished this clue on Sunday and was really looking forward to seeing how the final clue would finish up this mystery knit along. With my extra time before the final clue, I knit quite a bit on my Brioband Shawl. I am on the final striped edging and the rows are really long. Until then, I had only been knitting exclusively on Shawlography.
Finished Clue 3
Clue 4 (Sections 12)
The final clue was released on October 29th with direction for two border options. A simple I-cord bind off for a small shawl or a large striped border option.
Section 12
I chose to make the larger, striped border and knit in A, C, D, E, B color order. I really liked this section because the repeat was easy to remember and you are constantly striping colors. Like with my Brioband Shawl, other Westknits shawls I’ve made usually have super long border rows; around 700 stitches per row! So this border was really fun for me because each stripe was it’s own self-contained thing.
Each stripe took me 16 – 30min depending on how distracted I was, but it all felt really manageable. And, on top of that, you are binding off/creating an I-cord while you stripe. I don’t mind a long I-cord bind-off, but it can take a full day for me to do a 700-800 stitch bind off. Shawlography’s border was super fresh and comfortable to knit.
I didn’t get as much time to work on my knitting this week, but I still was able to finish and wash my shawl by Thursday.
Finished Clue 4
Finishing
I soaked my Shawlography shawl in cold water with some Knit IQ Wash for maybe 5 minutes. I noticed some pink bleeding into the water and was nervous that my lighter color and yellow would get stained or muddy.
I rolled the shawl in some large towels to remove some water before pinning to my blocking mats. I really appreciate how blocking can even everything out and just make your knits look super crisp.
I only pinned the top of the shawl so that it was a straight line, and just kind of spread everything else so it laid out evenly. Since the shawl was wet, the colors looked a little darker and I couldn’t be sure if the pinks had transferred to some of the lighter color areas.
Once the shawl was dry, I trimmed off all the ends that I had woven in as I knit. I did notice some small areas where the pink transferred to my Color C, but overall everything looks just how I’d hoped.
Shawlography MKAL – Overall Thoughts
I enjoyed participating in my first ever MKAL and I am really happy with my finished Shawlography. I liked learning the new stitches/techniques I hadn’t tried before, and having the video support if needed. It was exciting to be apart of such a large KAL and getting to experience the design unfold section by section.
The only thing I think I would change, would have been the balance of knitting in the different clues. Clue 2 seemed like a lot more knitting than Clue 3, for example. But on the other hand, it’s maybe nice to have a little lull later in the MKAL to take a break or catch up.
I’m really pleased with the colors I chose for my Shawlography and how my palette came together. After everything was complete, I ended with quite a lot of left over yarn:
- Color A: 55g
- Color B: 48g
- Color C: 63g
- Color D: 58g
- Color E: 58g
The Shawlography is a good size shawl, but it’s definitely smaller/shorter than my Fantastitch, or my Starflake. I think I prefer a more “shalanket” size shawl overall, but the Shawlography is a nice size.
I had a great first MKAL experience and would like to participate in future MKALs. If you want to see more pictures of my Shawlography, check out my Ravelry page. Sign up for my Newsletter for my knitting progress and more.
