I’ve just finished a slightly weird but very enjoyable knitting experience as part of Ysolda Teague’s Gloamin’ Tide MKAL. I must admit, I’m really impressed with the end product.
An MKAL is a mystery knit along. You receive a pattern in installments over a period of time as you knit along with others – without knowing what the final result will look like.
All I knew when I started the Gloamin’ Tide KAL was that I’d be knitting a shawl, and I needed three skeins of 4ply.
The pattern – Gloamin’ Tide – is from Ysolda Teague, which is part of the reason I was happy to join this MKAL. I find Ysolda’s patterns well written, interesting and wearable so I was confident I’d be happy with the mysterious finished shawl.
Six “clues” were issued at weekly intervals from 25 June. I finished on 5 August after some blocking in front of the heater.
This was my first MKAL, and it really lived up to the name “mystery”.
The shawl was knitted in two parts – a v-shaped piece and a triangular piece. At clue 5, the two pieces were joined, ready to knit the centre section in a decreasing square pattern.
Clue 6 closed up the hole in the centre with a yarn-over pattern. My gauge on this part was a bit looser than the rest, so I took up the slack by blocking the centre into a spiral.
I did worry about where things were headed about half way through. The colours looked weird together and I didn’t know if I’d like the final shawl. I kept going and I’m glad I did.
Gloamin’ Tide isn’t a pattern I would have chosen if I’d seen a finished version – what a shame that would have been! I got to try some new techniques and stitches, make something a bit different to my usual choices and best of all – I’ve got a nice warm shawl to wear this winter.
