I’m a big fan of polka dots! I find them fresh and lively and an instant mood-elevator. So back in May of 2018 I worked polka dots into the border of a shawl. Enter Maypole! For its first incarnation, I chose two yarn colors, a solid for the body and a variegated for the border. It was a fine idea, but it did little to showcase my lovely border of dots. To do justice to Maypole, I gathered two skeins of Cashluxe Spark from SweetGeorgia Yarns in Tangerine and knit a tonal version.
I think it’s a success! The tonal progression of persimmon, gold and pink, plus the light sparkle of Stellina create a fabric that has life and dimension without obscuring the dots. I’ve given Maypole a technical freshen up as well by adding a tidy new chart and clearing up the look and language.
The Maypole Shawl is an easy, semi-circular shawl that begins with a gentle stockinette body. Evenly spaced increases create very pretty directional shaping lines that put me in mind of a spider’s web or the spokes of a wheel. The lace border, a whimsical pattern of big polka dots floating in mesh, is knitted continuously, pretty to look at and fun to knit. To finish, an exuberant loop-the-loop edging of I-cord creates a clever scallop.
The new version of Maypole makes for a light and lively deep winter project that holds the promise of spring. To get you started this weekend, I’m offering a 30% discount on the new Maypole pattern valid through Monday, January 18, 2021. Head over to my Ravelry shop and enter the coupon code BRANDNEWDAY at checkout. Enjoy!
