Dot Dot Dot


Trying to remember now what is that moved me to design this… Winters in Japan are pretty mild, just cold, dry and sometimes windy and rainy, not much snow where we reside. Mix of grey skies during the day and if we are lucky enough – a pretty sunset over the mountains. So being tired from dull greyness after a long winter, eye is simply begging for some color.. In anticipation for first Spring colors I became impatient and in February while perusing fresh off the runway Fall/Winter 2011-2012 runway collections I had POLKA DOTS stuck in my mind! I have purchased this souvenir yarn from Purl Soho in New York years ago while on a quick trip with Vanessa.

 

Mizutama (from Japanese) means exactly that – polka dots.
My Mizutama shawl used a perfect bright, almost acid yellow yarn. Yellow and grey combination has been one of the longest color obsessions I’ve had, so I thought the grey of the skies would go so well together.

The design is a triangular shawl, but in a pattern I give 2 choices for knitter to make it. You can either start from the tip and increase it, so naturally you would get more and more stitches with each row. While knitting it that way, it is easier to customize and make the shawl even bigger/wider wingspan.
The other option in the pattern is to start with the biggest number of stitches and continue working it down towards the tip of the shawl. So whichever strikes your fancy – you can do it all!

Ravel It!
Yarn: Koigu KPM 2.5 skeins or 470 yds of any other fingering weight yarn
Needle: US 6 (4 mm)

$7.00

On a nice spring day when disaster struck Japan, I was actually getting dressed to go to a local park to take photos of my new designs, Mizutama was among them, I stood in the bathroom doing my hair while doors and everything started violently shaking..
I have tried to put my stress to work, still thinking of the situation, but trying to do something that would bring some feeling of normalcy to our everyday life… This pattern was published back in March.

We did go to that park later in the day to find a gorgeous Mimosa tree in full bloom with millions of yellow globes that are were also speaking polka dots to me…

7 Responses to “Dot Dot Dot”

  1. Birgitte says:

    Beautiful design!

  2. Love this — especially in the yellow!

  3. Connie says:

    Love this shawl, Olga — and the other related photos (flower, etc) that you included in this post! I hope you’re doing ok in Japan…

  4. riotyarn says:

    Wow, I love that design.

  5. I love your blog, some of your designs are so unusual. I love them so much I have blogged about you and your infinite loop pattern. You can read it here
    http://handmadebyclairebear.com/2011/10/17/loopy-fascination

    I hope you don’t mind.
    Love Claire from HandmadebyClaireBear

  6. Sue Pennington says:

    I’m knitting the Aranami Shawl. The instructions say to “with color A and either method CO 18 sts onto right needle”. How is this done? With cable cast on method the stitches are on the left needle, when I turn it, then they’re on the needle in my right hand. Is this what you meant? I have looked at YOUTUBE, but I’m unable to see how this is done.
    Thank You
    Sue Pennington

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