The annual Westknit's shawl MKAL (mystery knit a-long) works like this: purchase the pattern through Westknits website or Ravelry and receive the pattern in four parts, once a week for four weeks. The construction and final shape of the shawl reveals itself through each clue.
This year's theme has the designer Stephen West framed with crisp geometric shapes, in clear bright colours - is this a hint for the shawl to come? Only one way to find out!
Stephen West's MKALs are wildly popular because Stephen knits with you through each clue via his You Tube channel. You are sure to learn new techniques and receive lots of inspiration from all the creative shawls knit by thousands of MKAL participants from all over the world. Have a look by searching instagram with #westknitsmkal #gogodynamoshawl There is also a group on Ravelry you can join that discusses the MKAL and shares photos during the event and beyond.
It all kicks off with the first clue on 3 October so order now if you want to start on the day. We will dye your set within our usual 3-5 day turnaround. And, remember, you can start the MKAL anytime after its release date, it's all about the fun. Do the MKAL with your knitting group, or a friend or family member - you can even connect over the internet. The social side of this adventure is an added bonus.
We have three bases to choose from this year: Beaut, our 100% SW Merino Single or Sweet As, a brand new Alpaca Merino sock yarn, or Legend our Yak/Silk?Merino Blend. And with each kit you can add a skein of Mint, our super soft Kid Mohair/Silk fluffy, for a "mohair dare" as Stephen calls it. A mohair dare is the option to switch out your yarn and substitute in Mohair for sections of the pattern. It offers a change in texture, and colour as an accent within the larger body of the shawl.
We are including a mohair dare option with our kits this year: choose a hue match to your MC or a contrast to your MC. There's no wrong answer here - it's West Knits! We've posted a video on social media that reveals the mohair colours - or it can be a mystery if you prefer. Below you can see the match and the contrast mohair dares (which one would you choose?) with our Legend Taragreeen/Moab set.
Yarn Advice from Stephen for Go Go Dynamo:
Solid, semi-solid, and speckled fingering weight yarns are all great options for this year’s shawl. If you want to use a variegated yarn or a very splashy speckled yarn, use that as the CC combined with a more solid and contrasting MC. Both colours will be used equally throughout the fabric. You will get a good idea of the MC/CC relationship during Clue 1.
Think about the MC as the framing colour. It doesn’t really matter which colour is the MC or CC, but if you have a really bold colour pop or a very splashy speckled yarn, then use it for the CC.
featured photo/graphic ©westknits
