The Cap Shawl



This pattern is the Cap Shawl from Jane Sowerby's lovely book Victorian Lace Today.

The colour is a pale yellowy-green that the camera just can't cope with whatever I do! It is a much prettier shade than the photo suggests.

Because I wear my circular shawls mostly for extra warmth folded in half under my cardigan or jacket I have knitted it in a 90% silk 10% cashmere yarn that is easy to wash and doesn't need blocking. With such a high proportion of silk in the mixture I hand wash it, spin dry it and then just shake it out before I leave it to dry.

This is a good option if making a shawl for someone who won't be able to block it but will want to wash it. Any yarn with a high proportion of silk will fall naturally into shape with a bit of shaking and gentle pulling. The same would be true of a cotton yarn but that would be quite heavy, significantly heavier than the silk version, which is a disadvantage in a big shawl, though it may not matter so much with a smaller shawl.

For anyone who hasn't seen Jane Sowerby's book, it is one of my favourites, and enjoyable for the lovely photographs alone.