December 2, 2017

F.O. Waterbirch by Sylvia McFadden

Are you looking for a lovely pattern to quickly knit for someone special this holiday season?  I have a suggestion for you...Waterbirch by Canadian designer Sylvia McFadden.  The pattern was published earlier this year in a book entitled A Stillness of Trees, and includes three gorgeous, bulky weight shawls.  It is available in paperback and as a download.  

The first pattern I chose to knit from this book was Waterbirch and I have to say that I am extremely pleased with how it turned out.
Waterbirch
Pattern:  Waterbirch
Designer: Sylvia McFadden

Yarn: Fyberspates Scrumptious Chunky Solid (55% Merino 45% Silk) Chunky weight 4 skeins

Fyberspates Scrumptious Chunky
Colourway:  Lavender (a lovely combination of lilac and blue)
Needles:   8.0 mm



Ravelry: notes from my project page

Added Notes:
1.  This is the kind of pattern that would work well with any bulky/chunky weight yarn.  The pattern only calls for 265-274m (290-300 yards) of yarn.
2.  The gauge on Fyberspates Scrumptious Chunky Solid was smaller than the yarn used in the pattern.  As a result I ended up using 8mm needles instead of the suggested 10mm.  The great thing about Waterbirch is you can keep repeating the pattern to make the shawl as big or as small as you like, therefore, utilizing every bit of yarn you have.  I ended up knitting four repeats of the pattern using up all of my four skeins (total of 488m).  With blocking my shawl grew quite a bit making it a great size to wrap around your shoulders.  I loved the combination of silk and merino as the silk in the yarn gives the shawl a bit of a sheen which is hard to capture in a photo.

2.  Blocking:  I love how a good soak opens up a lace pattern.  You can see below the difference between the two photos.

Preblocking Size:  76 x 30"

Post blocking 78" x 38"
I enjoyed every minute of knitting this shawl.  It was done before I knew it.  I am a huge fan of Sylvia McFadden and have knit two of her patterns which I absolutely love (Lanterns and The Elder Tree Shawl).  I will be definitely knitting more in the future.

Have a great week everyone!  Happy knitting!

10 comments:

  1. I bet that yarn was glorious, I love a wool silk blend! Sierra

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    1. You're right Sierra! I will have to knit more with wool silk blends in the future.

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  2. Beautiful! I'm off to check out all her patterns.

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    1. Thanks Jeannie! I highly recommend her patterns.

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  3. Beautiful! I like your shawl a lot! It looks nice and smooth!

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  4. Yarn and pattern are a beautiful combination.

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  5. Looks perfect for wrapping yourself into it on cool nights!

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    1. I am now a fan of yarn with silk in it. It's warm but not too warm!

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