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Crafty Crafts

Charlie Rainbow Wolf

This is my favorite time of year, but that could be because it marks the anniversary of my birth! I have fond memories of back-to-school, of seeing the fields ablaze as the farmers burned off their stubble, of bellringing tours and harvest celebrations and folk music with its morris dancers. Although Mabon and the gathering has been celebrated for eons, naming the harvest festival after the Welsh god of the same name is a relatively new occurrence.

Mabon is a time of balance, when the day and the night are of equal length. Even though this is a beautiful harmony, the equilibrium is precarious, and with every passing day, the night and the darkness start to take dominion. It’s the time of year when I’m scrabbling to get the last of the fruits preserved for the winter and when I leave what my friends and family call my “clay season” and move into my “knitting season.”

Simple Knit Shawl

First, I do want to comment that this is not knitting 101. The best way to learn to knit is by watching someone do it and copying their movements. Basic knit and purl stitches are the only ones needed for this project. There are plenty of free online tutorials to teach these. This is a beginner-level pattern, and it is designed for those who have the basic skills and want to start something at Mabon to keep warm through the winter. If enough yarn (about 400 yards) was created from the spindle spinning, use it; it’s a great way to bring the energy of the earlier festivals into this one.

Materials

Yarn: I’m a bit of a yarn snob and I do recommend natural fibers, but if only a hand-me-down skein of acrylic is available, use it; there’s nothing wrong with this, and some people even prefer it. To me, natural fibers seem to handle differently, and I find them more soothing—and frequently warmer—to wear. They also break down in the ecosystem more efficiently than their manmade counterparts. At least 400 yards is required, more if a longer or wider shawl is being constructed, and if this is your first time knitting, choose a plied yarn—more than one strand spun together, it will be more robust and split less—and a medium weight, somewhere around category 5 is ideal. As the yarn is selected, think about the colors of Mabon; harvest colors of brick red, mustard yellow, or olive green are appropriate. As a beginner’s knitting project, I’d suggest staying away from the variegated yarn and choosing a solid color; it’s easier to see the stitches that way.

Knitting needles: The thickness of the needles will depend on the thickness of the yarn. For a category 5 yarn, choose 5 mm knitting needles; it makes it easier to remember that way! There are all styles available. I like the straight needles as that is how I learned, but many of my friends prefer circular needles. It matters not which are chosen; this project is knitted back and forth, not in the round.

Scissors and a large-eye needle: This is fairly self explanatory; the scissors are to cut remnants of yarn and the large eye needle is for weaving in the ends left when casting on, casting off, or joining a fresh ball of yarn.

Cost: A good 200-yard ball of worsted medium weight wool can be obtained for $7–$10; and to get 400 yards two would be required, making the total cost under $20. Man-made equivalents are maybe $4, or $8 for two. Basic knitting needles can be found for under $5. Large-eye needles (sometimes called tapestry needles) are sold in packets for $3–$5.

Time spent: How fast do you knit? When I was recovering from my broken humerus, I used knitting as physical therapy and was knocking out two of these shawls a week. Your mileage is going to vary depending on your skill level and the spare time you have to devote to completing the project.

Cast Away!

The knitting pattern is designed to be a multiple of four; one for each season—or each corner of the globe or each point of the compass. In numerology, the number 4 is grounded, secure, stable. I’m sharing the basic pattern for medium weight yarn; if the yarn is thicker, cast on less stitches, and if it is finer, cast on more. Remember, multiple of four, always.

Cast on 60 stitches. Use the method you’re most comfortable with. I favour the cable cast on method; it makes a neat edge.

Every row is as follows:

Slip the first stitch purlwise from the lefthand needle to the righthand needle.

Knit three, purl 1 until the last four stitches, then knit four.

That’s it! This pattern produces a fully reversible fabric with a distinctive ribbed pattern. Keep going until the shawl is the desired length. I find six feet works well, but it’s all a matter of personal choice. When you are finished, weave in the ends.

Before the shawl is worn, it needs to be blocked. Lay it on a flat surface and gently mist it with water—I use an old spray bottle. While it is damp, gently stretch it, so that the stitch pattern opens up. Leave it to dry naturally.

There’s a wonderful urban legend about the different knitting patterns on the British fishermen’s ganseys being their identity should they get washed ashore. Many families did have their own designs, but the bit about them being washed ashore is rather fanciful. What is fact, though, is when you’ve knit your own garment, you’ve not just made something of warmth and beauty. You’ve aligned your creative frequency with one that is many centuries old and manifested the energies of your ancestors.