I am often asked about this shawl. It is a real show stopper and without doubt it is the reason I am so obsessed with colour, knitting and not scared to take on new challenging pieces.

Believe it or not, this Speckle and Pop Shawl knitted back in 2017 was my first BIG knitting project. Up until then I had knitted baby sized things, hats and some toys but always tended to opt for crochet for blankets etc. You know me though, I like to dive right into things at the deep end and find a way to work things out as I go!

I had the pleasure of meeting Stephen West (the designer) at a colour workshop and as well as being a lovely guy to spend an afternoon with, he taught me and the other attendees to push the boundaries of your knitting - to play with colour and just enjoy the process.

My mum came along with me and is a very experienced knitter, having knitted professionally for years when we were little. However, I would say that my Mum is probably the kind of knitter who sticks to a pattern religiously, buys the recommended wool and does a gauge swatch. (It’s probably why she is so good at what she does!) But after spending time playing with colours and different weights of yarn, we all attempted to unlearn the way we were taught to do things and experiment. More is more!! Such a fun day!

Anyway not long after this, the Speckle and Pop Mystery Knit A Long began and I decided to push myself and embrace these ideas. Had I seen the finished article, there is no way that I would have had the confidence to take it on, which is precisely why I think a Mystery Knit A long is a fantastic idea.

Working on a project at the same time as others was really fun too. Figuring out things together and seeing how different colour choices can make such a difference to the overall piece was really interesting.

Westknit patterns are always very well written and there were videos for the bits that I found tricky (not going to lie, there were a lot of them!) Slowly but surely I added another row here and there and months after some others had finished, my Speckle and Pop was cast off with a colour changing i-cord over 900 stitches or something crazy like that.

I was so, so pleased with it and proud of myself for sticking with it. So imagine how chuffed I was when I got to meet Stephen again at Edinburgh Yarn Fest in 2018 and had this picture taken. I think my face says it all.

So if you are on the fence about taking part in this years Shawl Mystery Knit a Long, SLIPSTRAVAGANZA, I get it. It’s a huge investment of time and money but I really think it was the piece that gave me confidence in my knitting going forward.

As well as that, there are a few of us doing this together within the Cookston Crafters Facebook Group so we will be here to help you all of the way and there will be support in the usual Westknits Ravelry group too.

Some notes on colour choices

You will need 3 x 100g colour pops and 200g of a background colour. This will be perfect for using up single skeins that you maybe bought because you just had to have them but didn’t necessarily have a project in mind. However, if you need some colour inspiration, I have put together a few colour packs here so the choosing is done for you. Oh and don’t forget you’ll need lots of stitch markers like these from Coco Knit’s.

I’ve decided on a pale speckled background colour Riverside Speckle and three brighter pop colours with pink, lime and purple. I’m looking forward to getting the first batch of instructions on Friday, who knows what new techniques we’ll learn??

Cookston Crafts is based in rural Aberdeenshire and is a real haven for craft lovers. Claire creates luxury hand dyed yarns inspired by the beautiful Scottish landscape.

Claire also teaches workshops from a beautiful converted steading and will give you a warm welcome whether you are there for a class or just to browse the yarn.

Claire is passionate about sharing her love of all things crafty and is delighted to give help and advice so you have the confidence and inspiration to create your own unique project.