CWM
By Katie Weston
Pattern Notes
I live in the hills of Wales, around here the sheep have to be tough, they spend a lot of time up on the hills in all weather. However down in the valleys (cwm, pronounced coom, in Welsh) the sheep live a far more pampered life style. This pattern is inspired by the differences in sheep breeds, unsurprisingly the sheep breeds that live up on the hill have much rougher fleeces than the valley breeds. As handspinners we can create textural difference out of the same breed of fleece by using different spinning techniques. Down in the valley is a softly spun woolen style single. Up on the hills is a much tougher worsted spun 2-ply. Wrapped around your neck this will do as good a job at keeping out all types of weathers as the hill sheep's fleece, with the added bonus that it's as beautifully soft as the valley sheep's fleece. When you spin the woolen style yarn you can either make proper rolags using hard cards, or make faux rolags by taking a small section of the fibre, fluffing it out sideways and rolling it up in the same way you would a rolag. If you are using hand cards you could also introduce a different fibre in to the blend to make the yarn for the valleys fluffier. I can't be the only one who gets seduced by those little bags of fibre like Angora, Alpaca and Mohair at the fibre shows. This would be a great opportunity to use some of them up! Copyright Katie Weston 2011. Please do not reproduce this pattern apart from for your own personal use. Notions Required 300g of next to skin soft fibre 1m/40-inch 5.5 mm, Us 9 circular needle Tapestry Needle 200g (8oz) of fibre needs to be divided in to 2, spin this using a short forward draw. A further 60g (\~2oz) needs to be made in to rolags. These need to be spun long draw to make a woolen style single. The remaining 40g is insurance, if you discover you are short on yardage of either yarn then simply spin a bit more, alternatively you can just extend either section of the pattern to make a larger shawl. You need to spin 140m(153yd) worsted spun 2 ply (called Yarn 1 in the pattern), and 70m (77yd) woolen spun single (Yarn 2). You're aiming for a finished (ie once you've washed and dried the yarn) wraps per inch of about 7 to achieve the size shown in the pattern, but if you don't quite manage it then the pattern is flexible, just work some extra (or less repeats to get the size you need) Gauge 15 sts/32 rows = 10cm (4") in garter stitch
Copyright Katie Weston 2011. Please do not reproduce this pattern apart from for your own personal use. Using Yarn 1 CO 3 sts Row 1 [WS]- K Row 2 [RS]- K1, m1, K1, m1, K1 Row 3 [WS]- K1, m1, K3, m1, K1 Row 4 [RS]- K1, m1,K1, yo, K3, yo, K1, m1, K1 Row 5 [WS]- K Row 6 [RS]- K1, m1, K3, yo, K3, yo, K3, m1, K1 Row 7 [WS]- K Continue as set working ml increases at both ends and a yo either side of centre 3 stitches on RS rows. K all stitches on WS rows, until you have worked 55 rows (27 garter ridges) ending after you have worked a ws row. Start next row using Yarn 2, do not break Yarn 1. Row 1 [RS]- K1, ml, K across until centre 3 sts, yo, K3, yo, K across until 1 st remains, m1, K1 Row 2 [WS]- K1, P across until centre 3 sts, K3, P across until 1 st remains, K1 Next 2 rows are worked using Yarn 1, do not break Yarn 2 Row 3 [RS]- Kl, ml, K across until centre 3 sts, yo, K3, yo, K across until 1 st remains, m1, K1 Row 4[WS]-K Repeat these 4 rows 7 more times (8 valleys in total) Next 2 rows are worked using Yarn 2, do not break Yarn 1 Row 1 [RS]- K2, \*\*yo, K2tog\*\* until you reach the centre 3 sts, yo, K1, yo, Kl, yo, K1, \*\*yo, ssk\*\* until last 2 stitches, K2 Row 2 [WS]- K1, P across until 1 stitch remaining, K1 BO loosely using Yarn 1
FINISHING
FINISHEDMEASUREMENTS
Copyright Katie Weston 2011. Please do not reproduce this pattern apart from for your own personal use.
