Skip to main content

It's a Brown Sheep Mystery Knit-Along!

Brown Sheep is one of the first yarns I ever knit with, and they have always had a special place in my heart - so when they asked me to team up for a mystery knit-along, of course I said yes!


Now, I know that not everyone likes a mystery knit-along (or MKAL for short). In fact, I swore them off after being "tricked" into doing intarsia one too many times by Stephen West (said with tongue firmly in cheek). Not all mysteries are a delight to solve, but I promise this one will be. 

My goal was to create a fun-to-knit shawl with an interesting detail to finish things off. I don't want to give too many things away, but if you like slipped stitches, stripes, and bold mosaic motifs all wrapped up in a symmetrical triangular shawl, then I think you will be happy with the finished project. 

Not only that, but the pattern is available for FREE if you sign up for the Brown Sheep newsletter using this link. And if you want to buy the yarn I used for the pattern, you can pick 1 skein each of your 3 favorite colors of Prairie Spun DK yarn here or at your LYS (I used Coral Rose, Half & Half, and Damselfly, shown above from L-R). Whatever color combination you choose, just make sure there is plenty of contrast so that all of the colors pop. If you're having trouble deciding, check out these MKAL yarn kits, which ship for FREE when you shop the Brown Sheep online store!

Here are the official details:

Yarn: 3 skeins of Prairie Spun DK
Needles: US 8 circular needles, 32" or longer (the shawl is worked flat, but the longer needle will accommodate the large number of stitches) 
Gauge: 18.5 stitches & 38 rows = 4" in garter stitch 
Notions: 4 stitch markers 

There will be 4 clues in total. Participants will receive the first clue by email on April 27. The following clues will then be issued on a weekly basis every Tuesday. Remember to share pictures of your progress and the finished shawl with the hashtag #BrownSheepMKAL2021 to be eligible to win a prize!

At the end of the MKAL, 2 participants who used Prairie Spun DK for their mystery knit will be chosen to receive 4 skeins of either Cotton Fleece or Synchrony. Knitters must join Spinning Yarns, an online space where yarn lovers can share what they're making and talk about all sorts of yarny things in their forums. If you're looking for an alternative to a certain popular knitting website that is experiencing ongoing accessibility issues, Spinning Yarns is worth checking out! 

To be entered in the MKAL prize drawing, just post a photo fo your finished Prairie Spun DK shawl to the Mystery Knit-a-Long Group with the hashtag #BrownSheepMKAL2021. You are encouraged to post photos of your finished shawl with #BrownSheepMKAL2021 on Instagram and Facebook for additional entries!

Click here to sign up for the MKAL (you will also be signed up for the Brown Sheep newsletter if you are not currently a subscriber, but you can unsubscribe at any time).  I can't wait to knit along with everyone!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my  taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b...

Easy DIY: Beaded Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kits from Solid Oak Inc.

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends,  so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with  this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks).  The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a...

What If I Didn't Add Heels?

Last weekend, I finished the first sock with my Waterlilies yarn , and just for yuks, I tried it on even though it was basically just a tube sock. Much to my surprise, it fit really well, even without a heel. Who knew? So, that got me thinking: what if I just didn't add the heels?  I never thought a tube sock would actually fit nicely, but I genuinely like the fit, so...why spend time to add the heels? As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Let's say I decide not to add heels once the second sock is done - there will still be placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels, as you can see above, so should I leave it in and just weave in the ends? Or should I remove it, put the live stitches back on needles and at least graft them together using more of the Waterlilies yarn? I plan on mulling all of this over as I knit the second sock, and I'd love to hear your opinions of what you think would look best (or if you think this whole "n...