<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://graceakhrem.com/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/DSC_0174.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-669" title="DSC_0174" src="http://graceakhrem.com/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/DSC_0174.jpg" alt="" width="513" height="765" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I would like to thank everyone who submitted names to the contest.  Congratulations to Alice, better known as BlueZamia, from Minneapolis MN.  Alice suggested the winning name for the shawl contest I held about a month ago.  Her suggestion was Olana.  Want to learn more about Olana State Historic Site?  <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olana_State_Historic_Site">click here</a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><!--more--></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I knit this shawl out of three different yarns.  This is the perfect stash busting project.  For my first version I used <a href="http://madelinetosh.com/">Madelinetosh</a> <a href="http://madelinetosh.com/store/index.php/yarns/tosh-sock.html">Sock</a> as the MC, <a href="http://www.rohrspatzundwollmeise.de/httpdocs/flash_content/rohrspatzundwollmeise.html">Rohrspatz &amp; Wollmeise</a> 100% superwash merino as CC1, and <a href="http://www.alishagoesaround.com/index.html">Alisha Goes Around</a> <a href="http://www.alishagoesaround.com/trofbificso.html">Tracks of Bison</a> as CC2.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I have never used either of these three yarns before, so how did I choose this funny little combo?  Color!  I got my hands on that awesome skein of <a href="http://www.rohrspatzundwollmeise.de/httpdocs/flash_content/rohrspatzundwollmeise.html">Wollmeise</a> in Mint.  I am I sucker for any green yarn.  I LOVE GREEN!  So I decided to make something in that color-  then I thought "this is really really bright," so I decided to tone it down a bit with the <a href="http://www.alishagoesaround.com/trofbificso.html">Tracks of Bison</a> in the Oyster colorway.  What a gorgeous yarn!  YUM.  The <a href="http://www.alishagoesaround.com/trofbificso.html">Tracks of Bison</a> has slipped into my list of favorite yarns.  I wish I had more of this stuff.  It would make a great cardigan.... back to today's topic- so I had the Mint &amp; the Oyster... but it still needed a little something to break up all that green, so I searched my stash for the right color.  I finally came upon a hank of <a href="http://madelinetosh.com/store/index.php/yarns/tosh-sock.html">Madelinetosh Sock</a> in Port that I picked up at <a href="http://www.imagiknit.com/">Imagiknit</a> when I was in <a href="http://www.sanfrancisco.com/">San Francisco</a> last summer.  These three yarns and colors played together perfectly.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I knew that I didn't want the Mint to tough the Oyster, Port was the perfect separator.  I striped the Port with the Oyster for the body and then picked up along the edge for the wow factor of the shawl.  Make sure when you choose colors for this pattern that you use two colors that are similar.  The second shawl I had made (you can see it <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/olana-shawl">here</a>) I chose a teal blue as the MC and a tealish blue-green as the CC1.  Then the CC2 is always going to be a pop color- where I used a brownish gold and a fun little "cluster stitch" that I came up with.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://graceakhrem.com/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/DSC_0175.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-670" title="DSC_0175" src="http://graceakhrem.com/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/DSC_0175.jpg" alt="" width="512" height="765" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">This shawl was a lot of fun to knit. The garter stitch combined with the lace and changing the color of the yarn is just enough to keep your interest.  Then when you are thinking, "okay, that's enough now," the pattern moves onto the border where there is all kinds of striping, lace work and other stitch details to keep your interest.  I think my favorite part to knit in this shawl was the cluster edging (knit in the Oyster colorway).  That was a fun and interesting stitch that I improvised.  I knew I wanted to do some kind of fun bind off like I have done in the past with my other patterns, some examples include: <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/crashing-waves">Crashing Waves</a>, <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/brat-sister">Brat Sister</a> (named after my sister), <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/seaweed-scarf-5">Seaweed Scarf</a>, <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ruffled-ascot-revisited">Ruffled Ascot Revisited</a> to name a few.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://graceakhrem.com/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/DSC_0164.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-668" title="DSC_0164" src="http://graceakhrem.com/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/DSC_0164.jpg" alt="" width="512" height="765" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I really enjoyed knitting shawl.  I hope you enjoy making it as much as I did.  The pattern is available for PDF download for $7.00 on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/olana-shawl">Ravelry</a>.  Mention the code OlanaBlog to receive 10% off the purchase of this pattern from now until October 31st (pacific time).</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://graceakhrem.com//2011/10/olana-shawl/dsc_0195/" rel="attachment wp-att-672"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-672 alignnone" title="DSC_0195" src="http://graceakhrem.com/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/DSC_0195-250x250.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="250" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://graceakhrem.com//2011/10/olana-shawl/dsc_0184/" rel="attachment wp-att-671"><img class="aligncenter size-thumbnail wp-image-671" title="DSC_0184" src="http://graceakhrem.com/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/DSC_0184-250x250.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="250" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://graceakhrem.com/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/DSC_0156.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-667" title="DSC_0156" src="http://graceakhrem.com/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/DSC_0156-250x250.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="250" /></a></p>