Mistral Scarf
Mistral Scarf in fingering weight yarn
Just a quick post with some additional info on these two popular patterns...
First, the Mistral Scarf. There are so many ways to create this scarf. I used six different shades of Alpaca Cloud by Knit Picks (www.knitpicks.com). I created my own gradient range with the six colors: Sophia, Augusta, Eleanor, Alfred, Carson and Thomas (sounds like a list of characters from an English novel!). There are so many great colors to choose from in this yarn that there are an infinite number of possibilities to make the scarf in exactly the combination you want. I used the fingering weight, but you could also use the lace weight if you would like it a bit lighter. I'm planning on making another one using the Cheshire Cat 5 skein pack by Wonderland Yarns, just have to decide on which color pack to use. Each pack has 5 skeins of yarn, 128 yards each, so I'll do 5 stripes on that one instead of six. I'll post pics when it's done!
Mistral Scarf in laceweight yarn
The scarf looks so beautiful using lace weight yarn, for the one above I used Prairie by Madeline Tosh (www.yarn.com) in "cloudveil. I worked 9 repeats for this scarf so that it could be worn as a shawl during the warmer months and then worn doubled, as a scarf, during colder months. I cast on the same number of stitches as the scarf shown above. Just to give you an idea in the difference in length between the two yarn weights, the scarf using fingering yarn turned out to be 82" long and the scarf using lace weight yarn turned out to be "66 long. You can adjust the length of the scarf by casting on an odd number of additional stitches to make it longer, or decrease the number of cast on to make it shorter.
I really want to try this scarf in dk or worsted weight yarn to see how it will look. Something for a future post!
Mistral Shawl
Mistral Shawl in laceweight yarn
Second, the Mistral Shawl, it begins with a few stitches and grows to become an asymmetrical triangle. I created this scarf when I was on vacation in Arizona and loved that the color way of the yarn I used is "prairie flower", by MadelineTosh of course. I guess you can tell that I LOVE Tosh yarn :-) The whole idea behind this design is that I wanted a beautiful, but simple lace pattern that is feminine, but not fussy, classic and modern. An added bonus, this design is simple enough that you could enjoy a glass or two of your favorite wine and not get fuzzy on where you are in the pattern. I already have two more skeins of yarn that will eventually become a Mistral Shawl!
I also want to give this a try using a heavier yarn to see how it turns out. I think a dk weight with a bit of silk in it should provide a nice drape.
Mistral Shawl in laceweight yarn
It might also be fun to give this shawl a try using
a gradient mix of yarn, working a repeat or two in different colors.
If you have purchased the patterns for the scarf and/or shawl "Thank You!" so much for giving it a try! If you would like to purchase either one or both you can buy them right here on my website, or visit my Etsy shop by clicking on this link:
Cheers :-)
Julie