Dare I Say? This is a Funky, Sexy Knitted Shawl Pattern. Mmm.

Free (and easy!) Funky Knitted Shawl Pattern

Other terms that pop into my head? Simple. Glorious. Chunky. Sexy. Edgy. Chic. Hip. Hippie. Stylish. And my usual YUMMY and DELICIOUS.

WHEW!

Okay, okay! Enough already! Pictures!

Well, I went for a walk downtown with my boo: It was sunny and pleasant.

All of a sudden, the wind picked up and the sun went behind the clouds! BRRR!    I donned my wrap quicker than a snap!

Ahhh. Much better! We continued our walk, me, all warm and cozy-like…

And I was happy: (I am smiling with no teeth showing as even though I’ve had Invisalign braces for a year and a half now, I still think my teeth are crooked and it’s not a natural thing for me to smile in pictures. I’m working on it. 😉

This one you can see the knitted shawl in all its glory as I pretend to… be an eagle? Or something.  

I used many different types and colors of yarns, but I kept several things in mind. 

1. I used colors that flowed and were similar in intensity. I layed out all the balls of yarn at first to make sure they all looked good together and none stood out or felt harsh. I wanted it to have a soft and sexy feel.

2. I knit 2 rows in each color (LEAVING THE ENDS TO HANG OUT AND FORM THE FRINGE ON ONE SIDE) … until I had used all the colors and then began again with the first color, so a subtle striping effect occurred, which I love. It’s not too noticeable, though, as some of the yarns slowly change colors (have long color shifts). Too cool. 

My handsome and delightful and ever-talented boyfriend-photographer shot these photos for me, in our local downtown area. Even though it’s summer most places in the northern hemisphere, it’s still more spring-ish weather here. High-60’s And unusual for us, we’ve been having some wind, so there is a slight chill to the air, especially if the sun goes behind the clouds. So this knitted shawl pattern worked out great for me!!

And I promise, it’s so easy, even the beginnerest of beginners can knit it! This could even be your FIRST knitted item. It’s that easy. But seriously, look how gorgeous it is. The chunks! The fringe! The hippiness of it! (I think I have a little hippie living inside of me who tries to dress me on occasion, only for my more modern self to usually squelch it and say “Shhh, honey, not now.”

If you’re a hand-spinner, this is IDEAL for using up left-over bits of hand-spun yarn. Or any hand-spun yarn. I’ve got all sorts of hand-spun yarn, ribbon yarn, you-name-it yarn!

So some things to keep in mind when styling this type of thick, chunky, funky knitted shawl:

 1. Since the shawl itself demands so much attention, you want to keep the rest of your look simple and fitted. 

-Imagine this worn with a huge, flowy tent dress and you can see it would be too overwhelming visually. So keep your outfit simple. I chose jeans (American Eagle crop skinny jeans, $38.50), a nude tank (Old Navy, $3.50) and strappy summer sandal heels (PacSun, $39.99). So the look is simple and classic, casual and visually calm, allowing the fabulous, look-at-me shawl to get all the attention it deserves.

2. Don’t be afraid of bold accessories

-It’s okay to wear bold chunky accessories to give some balance, like some wrist bangles or hoop earrings or big sun glasses. But I would say to choose one, maybe two pieces and don’t go crazy with it, or again, you run the risk of the look being overwhelming.

3. Wear it with confidence!

-Nothing sexier than a confident woman! I have to work on this one, but I’m getting there.

So after such a fun jaunt around the park, I settled in to read for a spell: 

Yes, I was actually reading a style book (from the library). 🙂 

I’ve always thought I dressed “ok” but my boyfriend is a style expert and little by little I’ve been learning better style habits. It doesn’t come naturally! 

If you’re like me and don’t have a clue about fashion, I highly recommend the book I was reading, entitled, Style Clinic: How to Look Fabulous All the Time, at Any Age, for Any Occasion by Paula Reed.

I’d be happy to continue to share my style revelations with you if you like, but if you’re not into that kind of thing, just let me know!

Another thing that has helped me is to find and read some style blogs. My current favorite, since I’m short (5’1″) and have a hard time finding clothes in my size, is:

Extra Petite. She is so cute and finds all kinds of petite sizing. OH, to be as skinny as she!

(One thing I noticed about these pictures is that I’m packing a little too much chub. No, I don’t think I’m fat, but I am 30 now and it’s time to start shaping up or shipping out!) So on that note, I’ve been working out for the past 3 weeks and so far have lost 1/2″ in my waist, 1/2″ in my legs and 1/4″ in my hips. WOO! I’ll take it! As I’m not really trying to lose size or too much weight (maybe 5 lbs or so), I’m really happy with that. I haven’t weighed as that is not really a priority.
I just wanted to start feeling better about myself and so I made the decision to make a change.

What I’ve been doing:

1. Working out 4 to 5 times a week, about 20-30 min a day. I have been doing You Are Your Own Gym: The Bible of Bodyweight Exercises . I do have a gym membership but it takes about 25 minutes to drive there, so I don’t go. Just the time investment feels like a waste. So I work out at home, in my bedroom. I have altered the program in the book a little and so what I mainly do is legs on Mondays and Wednesdays, and arms on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I don’t really do abs as much as the other exercises incorporate the ab muscles, but occasionally I’ll throw in an ab exercise or two if I feel like it. I use bags of yarn as weights if I need them. HA HA! And to keep limber, I do some yoga as well. Yoga is also very centering and spiritual for me, so I try to fit that in once in awhile.

2. Eating more protein. I am a carb-aholic. I LOVE cookies and bread and ice cream with Nutella and all things sweet and carby! In fact, if I don’t pay attention, I will inevitably reach for those things all day, not realizing I consumed mostly carbs with little protein. Protein is needed to build muscles and as I am trying to sculpt and build muscle, I simply need more protein. So I’ve been consuming 2 scoops of protein powder with 1 or 2 raw eggs, mixed into water after each workout. (I highly recommend Mercola Miracle Whey Chocolate Protein Powder . It comes in 6 different flavors, my favorites being chocolate, peanut butter and vanilla. It really tastes great and anything Dr. Mercola comes out with is natural and better for you than most other brands)
Then I eat something for breakfast a few hours later, like fried eggs in butter (I do consume a lot of fats, and if that shocks you, feel free to read Dr. Mercola’s website, as he has TONS of information on the subject. The right kind of fats are good for you! Butter is a natural product and has so many health benefits. Ideally, you want organic, raw (unpasteurized) butter, but that is hard to come by, so regular will do. It’s much better than margarine. Margarine is one of the biggest marketing tricks ever. It’s basically rancid oils that have been blasted with metal particles, dyed yellow since it’s normally an unappetizing gray, and flavored. Ewww.)
Then I eat in another couple hours, around noon, then a snack around 2 or 3 and then maybe a small dinner. Snacks include a tablespoon of almond butter or peanut butter, sardines (yum!), full-fat cottage cheese or yogurt with fruit, etc. Anything with protein. For dinner, I try to eat chicken or steak or beans.
This is what I try to do but if there is homemade bread sitting around, or cookies, I will snatch some. Can’t help it. I don’t starve myself. I eat what I want and when I want! I just try to eat protein first and then if I’m still hungry, I’ll grab  a carb or two. Oh, yes, and I drink LOTS of water. Everyday. Without fail. And about 2 cups of coffee a day because I just love it.

WHEW! Enough style and health talk. Back to the shawl!

For mysterious effect, in walks the black and white photo:  (Imagine mysterious music…dum duh dum dummmm… DUMMMM)

And now for the pattern that you’ve been waiting for! Can you stand the suspense!?

I will give it to you, dear reader, in a simple few words: Knit every stitch every row. DONE. 😀

Okay, here is a little more formal of a pattern, but you get the idea. It’s just basic garter stitch, so you’ll want to cast on as many stitches as you like, in any needle size you like, and knit every stitch every row until you feel like being done. Then tie on some fridge with the excess yarn you have left over. 

Just in case you’re wondering, here is how I did it:

FUNKY KNITTED SHAWL PATTERN:

Ravelry Link

-CO 45 stitches using US size 13 needles via the long-tail CO method

-Changing yarns every 2 rows, knit every stitch every row until piece measures 5 feet in length. BO. Allow your ends to hang out, after you complete each color. So you’ll knit 2 rows with Color 1, let the ends hang out. Knit another 2 rows with Color 2, let the ends hang out, etc… You can tie on more fringe if you like. 🙂

So there you have it, my friend! A beautiful, SUPER easy shawl, that can be dressed up, dressed down, worn inside, outside, in different seasons, and feels warm and cozy and wonderful.

Have a blessed day and I hope you get to knit something wonderful today! I’m off to the coffee shop to work on a golden straw scarf I’m making up and to continue to list items in my shop for you!

Lots of love,

~C.

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