Miss May Shawl MKAL

The Miss May Mystery Knitalong is inspired by the creative genius, skill, and devotion of its namesake. The secret shawl design offers a modern interpretation of the Arts & Crafts aesthetic, growing week by week as each clue is revealed. This project is a community celebration of making something wonderful by hand.

Miss May Morris grew up immersed in the rustic beauty and lofty idealism of the bohemian Arts and Crafts Movement, and went on to become one of its leaders. The child of Pre-Raphaelite artist and designer William Morris, May was brilliant, independent, and driven, an expert embroiderer and iconic designer in her own right. She was devoted to the pursuit of beauty and to her family. She fought for the things she believed in, especially for the recognition of women’s talent and time. She was her father’s daughter. And she was very much her own woman.

Arts & Crafts design was about slowing down and savouring: about acknowledging and appreciating the time it takes to create something beautiful. It was a rejection of a world dominated by machinery and mass production. It was a celebration of what human beings can do with their own hands and beautiful, natural materials. That’s an impulse that all creative people can relate to. It’s a philosophy that we recognise from a deep place in our hearts.

The Miss May Mystery Knitalong begins Tuesday June 7th, when the first clue is released.

How it works:

In a Mystery Knitalong, you take a step into the unknown. You know you're making a shawl, you know what kind of yarn to use and how much you'll need, but you have no idea what the end result will look like until you get there.

The pattern is split into clues (in this case, five clues) and you receive a new piece of the pattern every week. The pattern will be suitable for brave beginners through experienced shawl knitters, with detailed instructions in my Curious Handmade Percentage Checklist Pattern™ style, and with lots of community encouragement on Instagram.

SCHEDULE

Clue #1: Tuesday, June 7th

Clue #2: Tuesday, June 14th

Clue #3: Tuesday June 21st

Clue #4: Tuesday, June 28th

Clue #5: Tuesday, July 5th

YARN REQUIREMENTS

Circus Tonic Handmade Gathering Cashmere Sock

80% superwash merino, 10% cashmere, 10% nylon; 365m/399yds per 100g skein

4 x 100g skeins for 4 colour shawl or 3 x 100g skeins for one colour shawl.

Sample 1:

Colour A: 1 skein Barcaldine (Plum)

Colour B: 1 skein Windorah (Pale Gold)

Colour C: 1 skein Longreach (Pink)

Colour D: 1 skein Winton (Orange)

OR

240g of fingering weight yarn totalling approximately 876m/958yds

Sample used:

Colour A: 55g (201m/220yds)

Colour B: 65g (238m/260yds)

Colour C: 70g (256m/280yds)

Colour D: 50g (183m/200yds)

Needles

4mm (US 6), 100cm (40”) long circular needles (or size to obtain gauge)

Notions

Tapestry needle

Gauge

18 sts/32 rows = 10cm (4”) in stockinette stitch after blocking