Made with stash yarn purchased / gifted in 2024.

• Right now, things are not particularly easy and I need to work on something with significant tactile appeal (in a totally “wow” colour). Mind you, there’s a part of me that doesn’t want to hold this yarn double (halving its yardage) or to make an accessory when I could make a sweater (held double OR single) with this amount of yarn.

• I’m also not a triangle shawl person. I tend to prefer crescent-shape for ease of wear. What’s convinced me to give this a go - other than the fact that I really want to work on something that isn’t all about the thinking - is info on the project page advising that “the heart-shaped design offers a generous wingspan without too much depth”. I’ll also make the smaller size which should be more proportional for me. One thing’s for certain: I tend to enjoy the process of knitting Melissa’s patterns and I enjoy the elegant simplicity of her designs.

• Also, if I don’t wear it, I can always unknit it and put this beautiful yarn back into stash. Sometimes, a project is about the meditation. If I do wear it, I’ll be very glad to have used such a delicious yarn.

Yarn and Gauge Information:

• Initially I thought that I would use Sonder Luna (discontinued yarn) to make this simple, wearable shawl because I’m looking for a project to soothe both my mind and my hands. (For future ref, see Gauge intel for Luna below…) I was quite off in row and stitch gauge, though I could knit additional rows before starting the ribbing to get to the desired dimensions. Since I really wasn’t feeling the grey/black colour, I switched to the Haven in deep emerald colourway, which is more where I’m at. It is a weightier yarn (711 yards in 100g) vs Luna (875 yards in 100g). Haven held double to best approximate gauge.

• I opted not to work up a gauge swatch for the Haven, since I like the fabric it produced and, in using it, I should get closer to the recommended gauge by virtue of its bigger weight. Again, if I determine that I want a larger shawl, given that knitting with 2 strands of lace-weight creates the smaller size, I can always keep knitting since I have more yarn than required. Update: I rarely do this but I followed this pattern to the T. Actually, that’s a lie(?!?!?!?) I cut about 4 rows out of the final garter segment because I felt things were long enough and I was getting bored and wanted the excitement of the ribbing.

Final Thoughts:

• I don’t know how I’ve never heard about “heart-shaped” triangular shawls before but I think I’m going to like wearing this much better than the regular (unangled-wingspan) sort. I wish that the marketing photos showed the full, flat shape of the shawl when complete because this really does get rid of a lot of unnecessary centre bulk while maintaining a long wingspan.

• Just FWIW, I think it’s more apt to call this shaping “boomerang” than heart-shaped. But I can’t find much on either.

• I’m blocking mine to have a rounder shape at the centre depth because I don’t love sharp angles, esp with shawls. I’ll also block the wings longer - and there’s height to do this with this shaping- to get more wrapping length without additional centre depth. I wouldn’t want this to be any deeper than it turned out pre-blocking, though I’m sure that everything will relax with blocking, esp given the properties of this yarn.

• Fun bonus: This is really quite easy to block - esp for a shawl. It took about 10 min to get it all sorted with only a few anchoring pins. It lies nicely flat.

• Not sure how I feel yet about the cast off and 2 row set up. I think I’m going to like it (I love how it looks in the marketing photos) but anything that approximates rolled stockinette can put me off. Update: The two stockinette rows (that precede the bind off) recede and the knitted bind off rolls to the front and pops like a chain. It’s interesting and it does look very neat. But it’s definitely rolled and I’m going to have to get used to that. I don’t feel it’s a dealbreaker.

• This is an excellent project for a newer or an experienced knitter. It’s fairly portable, you can have a conversation while knitting it. It’s extremely efficient in technique, creates something wearable at multiple gauges. Great gift. So practical and yet, made with a beautiful yarn, it looks and feels like a million bucks.

• Wore it for the first time immediately after it finished blocking. It dries quickly given gauge and weight. (I do love a cozy, sizeable shawl that weighs under 180g!) It’s very easy to wear. I have a feeling it will be used in regular rotation. The size is terrific. Would not want it any bigger. It’s still deeper than necessary for me (and mine is 4” less deep than pattern dimensions) but less bulky than a standard triangle.

• I used 2 lace-weight yarns without fluff (Haven x2). I find the end result very drapey nonetheless. Definitely use a high-quality yarn with drape to make this piece shine.

• About the Yarn: It’s a truly lovely yarn. It softens and relaxes well with blocking. Held single it would be more delicate, but that’s not the vibe of this knit. The colourways are beautiful. This emerald green is so rich. Alas, it looks like a blue-leaning teal in most of the photos, not that teal isn’t pretty too. For me the FO next-to-skin soft but I can understand how some people could be more sensitive than me. Held double it’s very warm. I could see it being too warm in places that don’t get cold weather, at least held double.

• Yarn Cost: 110 CDN all in. I was gifted a skein but I also bought two. This used under 2 skeins.

Preblocked Gauge: 19” (depth), 27.5”(one side of the heart-shape / wingspan or half of the width at the neck edge), 76” the length of the shawl at the ribbed edge)

Post-blocked Gauge: 19” (depth), 34” one side of the heart-shape / wingspan or half of the width at the neck edge), 92” the length of the shawl at the ribbed edge)

Deets of Swatching with the Luna, which I did not use:

Gauge - Yarn Held Double:

US 7: Preblocked Gauge: 20.5 st and 36R in 4” in garter stitch
US 7: Postblocked Gauge: 21 st and 39R in 4” in garter stitch

For Future Reference: Sonder Luna - Held Single

Very difficult to determine preblocked gauge as the fabric in all three needle sizes is so open and practically black…

Preblocked Gauge US4 Stockinette: 26st and 38R in 4”
Postblocked Gauge US4 Stockinette: 26st and 38R in 4”

Preblocked Gauge US5 Stockinette: 25st and 36R in 4”
Postblocked Gauge US5 Stockinette: 24st and 36R in 4”

Preblocked Gauge US6 Stockinette: 24st and 34R in 4”
Postblocked Gauge US6 Stockinette: 25.3 and 34R in 4”

Seems to be a very stable yarn pre and post blocking but the swatch is both small and the stitches are very open - and even blocked it’s hard to read this swatch. Not sure how much we can rely on how the post blocked gauge will land, esp when gravity kicks in…