• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • SHOP
    • Upcoming Release Gallery Photos
    • Free Classes/Workshops on Teachable
    • Special Offers on New Releases!
    • Why Jill Wolcott Knits Patterns are Expensive
  • BLOG
  • LEARNING
    • Free Classes/Workshops on Teachable
    • What Is An Action Chart?
    • Menu of Techniques
    • Techniques Library : What’s In There?
    • Abbreviations
    • Sizing Tables / Charts / Guidelines & Croquis
    • Pattern Difficulty Levels / Type of Knitting
    • Why Jill Wolcott Knits Patterns are Expensive
    • Inside a Jill Wolcott Knits Pattern
    • How-To Videos: Learn from Jill
      • Why I Love . . . Techniques
    • Jill Wolcott Knits: A Fit Background
    • 2021-2022 Workshops With Jill Wolcott Knits
    • Overview of ASOG – A System of Grading
  • ABOUT
    • Designer’s Story
    • Calendar Events Schedule
    • Inside Scoop Subscribe & Newsletter Archives
    • Fundraising Projects
    • Jill Wolcott Knits
      • Jill Wolcott curriculum vitae
    • Techniques Library : What’s In There?
    • Abbreviations
    • Errata
    • Privacy Notice for Jill Wolcott Knits
  • CONTACT
  • My Account
  • Press

Jill Wolcott Knits logo

June 23, 2017 Leave a Comment

Classic Shawls That Don’t Feel Classic

Classic Shawls: Melissa WherleAlthough the 20 shawls in Classic Knit Shawls are based on classic shawls, this book is filled with creative expressions in shawls that are modern and fit right into the current shawl focus in knitting. I would recommend Classic Knit Shawls to any knitter looking for a selection of beautiful shawls and who is interested in a variety of shawl structures.

Classic Shawls of Most Varieties

There are simple shawls, complicated shawls, shawls that look simple but have ingenious construction details.  There are color-work designs, and stripes, and lace of most varieties.  The majority of these classic shawls are very wearable and offer a variety of silhouettes creating casual and dressy options.

Classic Shawls: Andrea JurgrauThe 20 projects in Classic Knit Shawls deserve a little review of techniques and construction before picking your projects.  Not only do you have the option of beautiful designs, but there are construction options to expand your shawl game. Of course there are beautiful stitch patterns, all worked up in beautiful yarns.

Techniques Within Classic Shawls

  • A variety of short row methods and applications
  • increase and decrease shaping
  • interesting edgings, borders, trims
  • lace knitting of every type (but not knitted lace)
  • nupps, cables, beads, knitted fringe
  • top down, bottom up, side to side, modular, counterpane
  • a variety of methods of working and adding edgings, trims and borders

Classic Shawls: Carol FellerClassic Shawls: Andrea JurgrauClassic Shawls: Corrinna Fergurson

 Shapes of Classic Shawls Classic Shawls Yarn Weights
  • cresent
  • Semi-circle
  • rectangle
  • triangle
  • lace weight – 5
  • fingering weight – 7
  • sport weight – 1
  • dk weight – 3
  • worsted weight – 4

Classic Shawls Yarns Used

  • Anzula Squishy (80% superwash merino wool, 10% cashmere, 10% nylon)Classic Shawls: Nancy Bush
  • Berroco Pure Pima (100% pima cotton)
  • Blue Sky Alpaca Melange (100% baby alpaca)
  • Dream in Color Perfectly Posh Sport (70% merino, 10% cashmere, 10% silk)
  • Elemental Affects Shetland Rustic Lace (100% North American Shetland wool)
  • The Fiber Company Road to China (65% baby alpaca, 15% silk, 10% camel, 10% cashmere)
  • Freia Fine Handpaint Yarns Fingering Ombre (75% wool, 25% nylon)
  • Hazel Knits Divine (75% superwash merino wool) 15% cashmere)
  • Hikoo Kenzie from Skacel (50% New Zealand merino, 10% angora, 10% alpaca, 5% silk noils)
  • Jade Sapphire Silk Cashmere 2-ply (55% silk, 45% Mongolian cashmere)
  • Lara’s Creations Majestic Entree ColourWave (50% silk, 50% merino)Classic Shawls: Courtney Kelley
  • Loôband Einband (100% Icelandic wool)
  • Madelinetosh Tosh DK (100% merino)
  • Plymouth Worsted Merino Superwash (100% merino)
  • Shibui Knits Silk Cloud (60% kid mohair, 40% silk)
  • Shibui Knits Staccato (65% superwash merino, 30% silk, 5% nylon)
  • Spud & Chloe Sweater (55% superwash wool, 45% organic cotton)
  • Sundara Yarn Silk Lace (100% silk)
  • Sweet Georgia Yarns Tough Love Sock (80% superwash merino, 20% nylon)
  • Vijay Fibers Serenade (100% silk)

Negatives of Classic Knit Shawls

This is a pretty short list, but I always feel I need to mention things.Classic Shawls: Kristin Omdahl

  1. The charts get really small. It might have been nice to cut them into segments to allow a minimum size.
  2. There are a few schematics. On many of the shawls a schematic showing the direction of knitting/construction (a roadmap) could make it easier to see how each shawl is constructed.
  3. Styling is always interesting.
  4. The Sources for Yarn page is a mess.

Positives of Classic Knit Shawls

Classic Shawls: Meg BurelThe first things I noticed beyond the designs and photography (beautiful model selection).

  1. Introductory Text
  2. Information with each pattern is easy to access
  3. Abbreviations
  4. Nicely illustrated glossary

I think almost any knitter could find more than one of these classic shawls they were interested in knitting.  I would recommend Classic Knit Shawls for the access to so many shawl points of view and the opportunities for learning techniques to use elsewhere in your knitting.  It doesn’t matter whether you continue to be a shawl knitter, I think there are lots of things in here that are transferrable to other projects.

Classic Shawls: Lucinda GrayIf I were so inclined (if I were a yarn shop, a knitting guild or group, for instance) I would use this book to have a year- or 18-month long exploration of shawls. There is much to gain from working different shawls, or having someone else report the process to you. The variety of shapes, weights of yarn, stitch patterns, and construction methods deserve a deeper look after you enjoy looking at 20 intriguing shawl patterns.

Classic Knit Shawls Information

Classic Knit Shawls is available in both hard cover and e-book formats.  Get all the information on Ravelry, where you can see photos and other information, and there are links to platforms to purchase it from.

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSave

Related Posts

  • 2019 GAL: More Patterns, More Information!
    2019 GAL: More Patterns, More Information!

Filed Under: Blog, Reviews Tagged With: classic, knit shawls, Lace, shawls, yarns

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Jill’s Story

Teacher, Designer, with expertise to lead you where you want to go as a knitter/designer. Read More…

Blog Archive

Don’t Miss these Techniques!

drawing of how a button link is put together. design, writing, technique

Button Links

most of the shelves on the yarn wall

Color Play in Yarn

Photo of Jill's Rowena Iron and her Reliable Steamer Iron

Steam Block

lovely hand-wound center pull ball in Fingering 101, yarn, yarn ball, center-pull, technique

Hand Wound Center-Pull Ball

Popular in the Shop

  • Smallest Number of Stitches to Cast On A Moebius Suggested price: $3.00
  • Tulle Collar on dress form with taupe side out, a view of tope and bottom Latvian braid, and 3 vintage button links. Tulle Collar $12.00
  • Half-size dress form wearing dk version in pink and purple from Oink Pigments Clapham Trio: Junction, Road, & Common $20.00
  • ASOG 2023 Deposit-in-Full: Gou Pei Dress ASOG 2023 Registration Deposit-in-Full $100.00
  • ASOG 2023 Deposit-in-Payment: Gou Pei Dress with wings ASOG 2023 Registration Deposit-in-Payments $100.00 / 7 days

Stay Updated

Footer

About Jill

Teacher, Designer, with expertise to lead you where you want to go as a knitter/designer.

Pattern Availability

If you live outside of the US and Canada you can now purchase Jill Wolcott Knits PDF patterns directly through Payhip.

Stay Connected

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Ravelry

© 2023 Jill Wolcott Knits