If you didn’t already know this, there is a website out there just for fiber crafters. It started out just for knitters, but grew to include the crochet community. This hallowed place is knows as Ravelry. If you have even a casual interest in knitting or crochet, you probably want to go check it out. It houses an unbelievable database of patterns and information on yarn and other fibers. Oh. And it’s all free to use.
There are thousands and thousands of patterns available on Ravelry. Some are free, and some are not. The website is free, but you do need to pay for the better patterns. That’s how the website and the knitwear designers stay in business; they sell patterns. Some of the designers are newbies, and some of quite well known. We even have a few that we consider to be rock stars in the fiber world.
Some patterns just take off like wild fire. I haven’t figured out what is the magic recipe that leads to extreme pattern popularity. Some of it has to do with what knitters are looking for in the moment, and sometimes people come up with something that has a great name or fun stitch pattern. It is interesting to search for a new pattern type and see what comes up with the most hits.
The shawl I’m featuring today is called the Henslowe. It’s designed by Beth Kling. This shawl is featured as a finished knit by 1963 knitters on Ravelry! Another 4397 people have this pattern sitting in their queue. This means it’s waiting in the wings for them to knit. They have saved it as a future project.
When I look at the dozen patterns on Beth’s designer page, this shawl has tons more love than anything else she has. Just like facebook, you can “like” a pattern by “hearting” it. The Henslowe has 15,246 hearts!! The next closest pattern clocks just over 4300 hearts. It’s head and shoulders above her other designs.
So, this pattern is definitely the designer’s most popular pattern. I’ve heard it discussed on podcasts. So I actually knew about this shawl before I ever handled the sample for the photography. Yes, there are podcasts out there where knitters talk about their knitting and patterns and whatever else craft related that is going on in their lives. When I used to commute to Charlottesville several times a week, I loaded up my ipod with knitting podcasts and listened on the drive. I learned so much doing that! My favorite is the Knitting Pipeline. She also has a great website. But I’m getting off topic.
I was asked to photograph a handful of samples for a professional knitter, and this was one of the pieces she wanted to showcase. The yarn is just as appealing to me as the shawlette itself. Especially when one considers we are in the middle of a wet and freezing cold winter season. I felt like this sunny yellow knit was a breath of fresh air. My wonderful model enjoyed wearing it as much as I enjoyed photographing it. You can’t fake this kind of happiness and joy! This sort of thing comes from within, and no amount of makeup or photoshop can create this.
I think that’s the real reason why people who love knitting are so attached to it. It brings an inner happiness that no amount of outside stuff or stimulation can replicate. There’s just nothing better than the excitement of a new pattern and then finding the perfect yarn for the project. When we use real fiber, there is a special quality no synthetic will ever have. Synthetics are twisted of fake stuff. Wool, alpaca, mohair is all real fiber that came from an animal. It carries vibration. It came from a living being, and there’s just something special about that. Making and wearing your own accessories and garments is rare in our world, and it’s special. I’m so happy to be part of a community of crafters who appreciate the same simple pleasure of knitting and purling our way to peace.
So let’s appreciate the little darling of the shawlette world, the Henslowe. If you are at all inclined to knit a sweet shawl, I think this might be your pattern. If you decide to make your own, please let me know! I would love to hear about why Henslowe made it into your pattern library. She’s a popular girl, and I say it’s for good reason!
