Floral Bouquet Shawl

This triangular shawl combines a simple ribbed background with a gradient of textural flower shaped bobbles. It starts at the corner in a solid color yarn. Slowly, as the stitch count increases, a second yarn fades into view. The second skein consists of a background color covering the majority of the skein and a smaller amount of intermittent “pop” color. As the knitter encounters each contrasting shade, a special bobble technique is used to create a three-dimensional flower. Just like a paper wrapped bouquet of flowers from the grocery store, what starts as a nondescript wedge of color suddenly blooms into an astounding display of color and texture. * Assigned Pooling * 3D Flower Bobbles * Reversible Ribbed Texture * Color Fade * Video, photos, written or charted instructions **If you feel unsure about your skill level and would like to try the Flower Bobble stitch, you can watch and follow this [free tutorial on YouTube][1].** Like most complex stitches, the instructions can take a few attempts to master, but the effect is worth the effort. **About the Yarn** The flower bobble technique was originally inspired by floral hues of the Dahlia color of [Feisty Fibres’ yarn][2]. Because the flower shaped bobbles use a long interval of color, Karen has created a special “Extended Pooling” yarn for the flower bobble technique. This yarn has a longer color interval than other assigned pooling yarns on the market. The pattern also requires a matching skein in a solid color to create the fade effect. Because of these specific requirements, the best (and only?) way to make this pattern is to purchase the yarn as part of a kit. EU residents should [shop with Wolhobby,][3] **Pattern Stats** **Finished Size:** 54” / 137 cm long and 36” / 90 cm deep asymmetrical triangle with a 60” / 150 cm top edge. **Yarn:** Feisty Fibres Classic Sox, 437 yards (400 m) per 100g skein; 75% Merino Wool, 25% Nylon. 1 skein of Extended Pooling Yarn and 1 skein of matching solid. Sample shown in Extended Magnolia and Ghosted (grey).  **Needles:** Size 5 (3.75mm) circular needles or size needed to obtain gauge. **Gauge:** 26 sts x 32 rows = 4 x 4” (10 x 10 cm) square in 2 x 2 ribbing. **Other Materials:** Tapestry needle, crochet hook (optional), blocking wires (optional), pins, and blocking surface. **Skill Level:** Intermediate/Advanced. Knitters should have experience reading patterns, working stripes, slipping stitches and be ready to learn a new bobble technique. The special flower bobble instructions are explained in the pattern and in a video tutorial. **Yarn Substitution** Because this pattern relies heavily on the yarn color changing at the right time, it may be difficult to track down appropriate yarns for this stitch. Here are some tips for substitution. **Existing Yarn** If you choose to work with an existing yarn, look for variegated yarns with long stretches of color. Regardless of yarn weight or needle size, each Flower Bobble uses roughly the same length of yarn as knitting 45 sts in garter stitch. This stripe length is common in many commercial self-striping sock yarns and some hand-dyed skeins. The best way to test the color interval is to cast on a swatch and try the flower bobbles each time you encounter a 20-30” / 51-76 cm length of color. Thinner yarns with smaller needles fall at the low end of the range while worsted weight yarn on larger needles is at the top. If you find a yarn with an interval that doesn’t quite work, adjust how much yarn your flowers use according to the tips below the flower bobble instructions in the pattern. It is unlikely you’ll find a Solid Yarn to match the background of your Pooling Yarn, but the project will still look nice with an all over bobble pattern. If you decide not to use a solid color in your project, you will need more yardage to make the same size as shown in the pattern. If the fade element created by the addition of a solid color is important to you, opt for a kit or dye your own yarn according to the info in the pattern. **Dye Your Own** The pattern download contains guidance on how to dye your own pooling yarn to work with the flower bobbles. [1]: https://youtu.be/9DHbRs-dju8 [2]: https://feistyfibres.com/ [3]: https://wolhobby.nl