Bridesmaids Shawls

Common tradition states that, as a bride, you are supposed to give gifts to your bridesmaids.  I had heard tales of amethyst pendants, shoes, and heartfelt cards.  I didn't have the money for something like a pendant, and I knew, more importantly, that most of my bridesmaids would never wear it.  They all had completely different shoe styles and things that they would like, so I briefly thought about getting them each something personal, but realized quickly that might cause drama if one was "better" than another.

Then it dawned on me.  The wedding was to be in December, and they were all graciously wearing sleeveless, knee-length dresses.  I would make them all shawls!  Though I knew at least two of them would probably never wear the shawls again, they would all use them at least once, and they would be knit with love.

I found a pattern on Ravelry called "Old Shale Shawl" that was perfect!  The yarn was think enough that it would provide some actual warmth, the pattern simple enough that I could be assured that it wouldn't clash with any shoe or jewelry flowering, and elegant enough that even the most tomboyish of my bridesmaids would enjoy wearing it.

I shot up to JoAnn's fabrics to get five skeins of Caron One-Pound Yarn in Cream.  The color scheme of the wedding was browns and creams, with the theme of wood and candles, and so the flickering light shone brilliantly on the satin brown dresses under the cream knit-work.

Over all, I really liked this pattern.  It was repetitive enough that I could work on other things, like reading, while I was knitting, but sophisticated enough to avoid boredom.  It did seem to stretch out toward the end, though, because the pattern starts with the shortest rows on the bottom.  Each shawl took about two and a half weeks, knitting a few hours a day.  I highly recommend this pattern!

Later, I realized that because of the "wood" theme, our bouquets were made of beautiful Cedar Rose pinecones (from Seasonal Bounty on Etsy), and so my lovely maids got to keep those as well! (PS: Sarah from Seasonal Bounty is a pleasure to work with and did an amazing job dealing with my incredibly complicated and specific 24 piece order!)

Amy's Ravelry Project | Hannah's Ravelry Project | Rachel's Ravelry Project
Katie's Ravelry Project | Kat's Ravelry Project
Ravelry Pattern

If you liked this idea, here are some more posts you might like:

• Flower Girl Cootie Catchers
• Musicians' Baskets
• Groomsmen