• DK version using US 7 for CO and US 8 for the rest of the object. I will do 11R stripes just because I prefer that proportion today. I’m going to use multiple colours of the beachy-tone variety (not generally my palette so I don’t know how I have all of these scraps :-)). I think I’m just going to wing it as I go - choose colour positioning that feels right in the moment.

• Initially I CO with 142st, as instructed for the DK-version. Technically, I got gauge (over 6”) but, while my shoulders are narrow and I’m a small-boned person, my bust is ~40” and I know from having knitted multiple The Comfort Zone ponchos that I want about 52” of circ at the full bust, to fit over bust and to give a bit of room for movement. So, I ripped back after the first couple of stripes and re-casted on at 150st. That should give me 33.33” of circ (16.65” flat width) which will enable me to pull it down as much as I prefer. I do worry a bit that it’s going to be too wide at the neck but this is an experiment. Update: While the 150st worked out fine, in future (yarn weight-depending), I may cast on 4-8 additional stitches (154-158st total) for a bit more circumference, just given how DK/worsted yarn knits up for me on US8. I don’t think I’d want to go up a needle or the fabric would get flimsy. But I will say that I do feel the neck is as open as I’d prefer at 150st.

• I def think that you will get much more stretchability if you go with a bulky-weight version on a US 9, just given the ease in larger stitches and thicker, double-stranded yarn, to say nothing of the larger needle. But I don’t really wear or work with bulky yarn (too heavy-weight and bulk doesn’t really flatter my proportions) so DK it is. And, if you are somewhat wider than the designer - for ex. at width of shoulders, broadness of torso, projection of breasts - 1x1 rib is only going to go so far to enable optimal fit. This is a terrific recipe but, esp with the finer-gauge version, you may be wise to increase the stitch count to suit the specifics of your own shape. I realize that this takes the “no need to swatch / just cast on / one size fits all” fun out of the equation, but I’m fussy :-). I also recognize that Caitlin indicated that this accessory knitted at the same stitch count fits her as excellently as does Jackie’s - as an indicator that this accessory is one size fits most - but I believe that Caitlin is a loose knitter and she’s been making the bulky-weight version (at least according to project pages that I’ve seen). With DK-weight yarn, YMMV.

• Restarting the project helped me to refine my colour options (to save a larger quantity of stash yarn for another project).

• While I am not a fan of tubular bind off and cast on (I feel they look kind of creepy in a way I can’t define), I have opted to apply them in this garment because I do think that an even tube (with no pull in at the top or bottom) will produce the desired drape and fit. Update: My bind off is def less stretchy than the cast on, to the extent that I will be required to wear it CO side down (towards bust). I will work the tubular bind off again, when I next make this, but I’ll work it a bit looser. Having said that, I have never yet been able to get a tubular BO that’s as stretchy as the CO - esp if I don’t want it to look crappy. FWIW, I do think having a CO that matches a BO is important for this object. I followed the tutorials provided for both the CO and BO and I found them both very clear.

• I’m surprised that the recipe doesn’t suggest that you knit the first round of every colour change to avoid purl blips on the first round of ribbing with the new colour. Of course, this isn’t necessary, but I do think it creates neater stripes and I don’t think it will hinder the stretch in the garment. (I mean, this technique doesn’t make a sock cuff any less stretchy.) But, just in case, this is one of the reasons that I opted to cast on 8 additional stitches.

Note that, as of 5 stripes In:

• I used 1.3g per round of Moordale. After knitting 22R (28g), I have 46g to go so I can knit 36 more rounds in this colour - or 3 more colour blocks. This is more than enough to get me through this shawl (which should have ~10-11 stripes. Note: Uses 2.5y per gram. Update: On my 6th stripe (using this yarn)I used 14g of yarn - more than I used before… I’ve now got 33g left which is still enough to do 2 more stripes…

• With the Lore, I used 24g of yarn over 19R. This is 1.27g of yarn used per round. I have 34g left or 26R worth of this yarn. That will give me 2 more blocks, more than enough…. Note: Uses 2.7y per gram.

• I’ll only knitted 1 block of the green (that’s pretty well all the remainder I have). This took 15g of yarn for 11R or 1.4yards per gram, should you find yourself using this yarn in this project again…

• I prob don’t need to break into the Sunday Morning skein but can if I need to (see striping sequence below). Update: I did break into it but only used a few grams for one stripe.

• I used diff numbers of rounds per colour block because I was aiming for 1.5” for each and, though these yarns work together, they do have diff fibres, grists and other properties. That means that some of the yarns went farther than others to get to the same length.

• 5 stripe blocks gives me 8.25”. I estimate that I will need 12 stripes to get to ~20”. Update: After I finished the 8th stripe, it became apparent I’ll need 13 stripes which means I’ll have to add in another yarn to get an additional stripe. I’ve opted to use a J&S in sage green, which I’ll hold double because it’s fingering-weight…

• Striping Sequence:

11R beige Moordale
10R grey Lore
11R deep green Woolfolk
11R beige
9R grey
11R beige
10R dark grey hand spun (slightly thicker than the others given grist)
11R beige

At this point I measured the tube so I know I need 5 more stripes (given that I need 7 more inches of length to get to 20”). Here’s how I’ll proceed:

10R grey
11R brown beige Sunday AM
10R grey
10R green - use the J&S
11R beige (this should use up the last of the Moordale)

• In the end I made 13 stripes of ~1.5” thickness each (generally 10-11R but more or fewer rounds as required, yarn properties depending) for a total length of 20”. 150st got me to a scant 13” of width (or 26” of circumference unstretched).

Preblocked Measurements:

13” wide by 20” long - the 13” is scant though…

Postblocked Measurements:

Pinned to 16” width (32” unstretched, at least when wet) and 20” length. This is what it blocked out to without being stretched.

Final Thoughts:

• Very morish pattern that makes fantastic use of scraps. It’s easy tv knitting and it allows you to revisit some of your fave yarns.

• Using DK-weight yarn, and getting gauge (18st in 4”), I appear to have used ~1.3g of yarn per stripe when each round is 150 st. Here’s hoping that creates a wide enough circumference for me to wear it comfortably.

• Having tried it on, pre-blocking, I can say I am very glad I casted on 8 extra stitches and next time may cast on 4 more stitches, just to have a bit more room, fabric depending. Having said this, blocking did soften and open this fabric and it’s as open at the neck as I’d prefer. I’ve used some fairly rustic British wool for the most part. If this were being worked in a soft fibre with lots of drape (merino, cashmere, alpaca) it would stretch that much more but I’m not sure how well it would recover… Update: It’s really stretched a lot (with only moderate recovery). I would likely not include any additional stitches in upcoming versions but that would depend in the end on the properties of the fabric.

• I used about 600 yards of yarn to make this (much less than called for and I made mine bigger in circ than recommended). Hard to tell exactly because one stripe was made from handspun… For ref, I used about 150 yards of that (and it was much heavier in weight than any of the other yarns).