Knitting Pattern & Yarn Review: Ghost Gardens Shawlette in Wonderland Yarns' Queen of Hearts

Over the summer, I took a break from knitting. I knit a bit of a washcloth here and there that I still haven't finished, but mostly was focused on other areas of life, like learning new programming skills. As I was readying for my trip to Italy with my husband this September, I decided to start a knitting project for any downtime since I would not have my computer.

I had previously purchased Wonderland Yarn's Queen of Hearts sock weight yarn in the Off with Her Red colorway back in May when I visited the Yarn Store on Nob Hill in Albuquerque, New Mexico on a work trip. It is 80% superwash fine merino, 10% cashmere, and 10% nylon. The color is the perfect red for me ... I love red but prefer more of a medium or darker red rather than a true, bright red. The yarn was pricey ... I don't remember how much exactly, but I would guess about $30-$35 per skein, and I bought two. I didn't realize the price until I checked out, so it was a bit of a sticker shock.

But oh! The yarn is lovely! It is a pleasure to knit, with a high twist that makes it easy to knit without splitting the strands. It has plenty of give as well which makes it pleasant for stitches like passing a slipped stitch over two. The drape of the finished shawlette is flowy and the fabric soft and light.

I used one skein to knit the Ghost Gardens Shawlette. I don't yet have the patience for a full size shawl or wrap, and honestly, I'm not a shawl person. I'm not sure I would know what to do with a shawl. So this smaller shawlette was perfect for me.

This shawlette knit up fairly quickly. I didn't have as much time as I thought to knit on my trip to Italy, between tiredness from jet lag and busyness with sightseeing, but I did get a few hours on the flight home that was not a red eye. It was my birthday, and knitting away with this pattern and yarn while watching movies next to my beloved was not a bad way to spend the day.

Within two weeks after the trip the shawlette was done. Most of the shawlette is a basic stockinette stitch pattern, with yarn over increases and M1R and M1L increases on every right side row to build up the triangle. The lace portion uses PSSO stitches in addition to yarn overs, knit stitches, and M1R and M1L increases. On either side of the lace are a few rows of garter stitch. It ends with a picot edge, that though slower than a regular bind off is a beautiful variation that uses a straightforward CO2 BO5 pattern.

I can wear the shawlette as a scarf...

Or assymetrically...

As well as a shawl...

I haven't wet-blocked it yet, which would open up the lace more, because I actually like the look of the lace as it is. I may wet-block it in the future, but for now I am leaving it as is.