May Quickies: Ombra Shawl
Summer is just around the corner, and fortunately for knitters, when you pair a breezy shawl design with some Malabrigo Mechita, you have the perfect summer knit! May’s design from Ruth Nguyen is the Obmbra Shawl, which features a delicate leafy lace detail. Because the shawl is worked from the top down in a repeatable chart, you can modify the finished size to fit your needs! Perfect for walks on the beach, picnics, or just warding off the office chill, this is the shawl that will become your summer staple accessory! It is also perfect for those knitters who live in places where it feels like it is an eternal summer.
Ruth Nguyen is a forest-dwelling, opera-singing knit and crochet enthusiast. She loves empowering crafters and teaching fun techniques through designs that are easier to make than they look. When she doesn’t have yarn in her hands, chances are she’s holding a classic novel or a hot cup of tea!
The Ombra shawl pattern is featured in 2 skeins of Mechita in the Swamp colorway. The pattern is tech edited and test knitted. Knitters should definitely know how to read charts before diving into this pattern as the lace is offered in charts only. Ruth took some time to share with us about her lovely new shawl design and we are excited to share it with you all today.
1: What is your favorite part of your Quickies design and why?
The leafy body stitches! I’m always fascinated by leaf lace patterns. They can be more difficult to design with than geometric patterns since their structure isn’t as nice and neat mathematically, but they’re so satisfying.
2: What should knitters pay attention to when working this pattern? Do you have any tips or tricks to make knitting this pattern easier?
Definitely get comfortable reading a chart. With organic stitch patterns like these, being able to visualize the placement of increases and decreases will make the process much smoother. Also, don’t tense up too much when working the selvedge stitches, since the top edge needs to block out straight!
3: What do you think knitters will enjoy the most about this project?
The adjustability! Both main charts can be repeated as many or few times as desired to customize not only the size of the shawl, but the proportions of the two stitch patterns.
4: What does your design process look like?
This might sound weird, but I almost always start with emotion. Whether it’s the yarn I want to use, a song, or a piece I need for my wardrobe, I’m always thinking “how does this inspiration make me feel? And how can I translate that to a finished piece?” Once I have that clearly defined in my mind, then I start the more analytical side of the process: sketching, figuring out techniques, and a LOT of math. After I cast on, I almost always make tweaks on the needles; but things are usually pretty solid in my mind before starting work on the sample.
5: Was there any particular inspiration you had when creating this piece?
Ombra was inspired by the beloved opera aria Ombra mai fu by Georg Friederic Handel. It’s a rich, regal piece of music with long lines, but somehow it’s super catchy. I wanted to translate that into a shawl by creating something elegant, but that would be fun and addictive to knit.
6: What impact does the color of this project have on you? Did you make design choices based on the color way name?
The Swamp colorway on Mechita makes me so happy! Deep reds that don’t lean too burgundy or too tomato red are hard to find, and I love the blackened tones of Swamp. The colorway name didn’t influence me too much, but it’s rather fitting given that the inspiration music is about trees!
7: What is the one thing you wish people knew about you as a designer?
That my designs are often easier than they look! My aesthetic is more formal and a lot of people think that means the patterns are super complicated, but I try to be intentional about keeping them as relaxing to follow as possible. Long-time customers tell me that they feel empowered when they’re able to use my patterns to make things they didn’t think they were capable of, and that’s what I would love for every person who picks up one of my designs.
I think the hardest part of this design is going to be deciding what color to knit mine in, especially as someone who battles cold office space all summer long! Perhaps I will need one in several different Mechita colorways…
Be sure to check out more of Ruth’s work on IG: @redearthdesignstudio and at redearthdesignstudio.com