Handmade: Slow Fashion Inspired by Arizona's 5 Cs

I have had the biggest business win this year, I have a pattern in a published book! What?!? I know! I designed a shawl for Less Traveled Yarn's book Handmade: Slow Fashion Inspired by Arizona's 5 Cs (this is a link to my Etsy shop where I have signed copies of the book available for sale) inspired by Copper (one of the 5 Cs). My mom (Susan) is from copper country in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, so I grew up with natural copper pieces in our house. When I saw the call for submission I immediately knew this was one I had to apply for. 

Of course I freaked out when I got the email that my submission was accepted! I didn't realize that my shawl was going to be the COVER design until we saw the final proofs of the book right before it went to the printers! 

Yes, I definitely cried and it was 100% perfect. Now that I have the super exciting news out of the way let me tell you a little more about the book and the design. The book has 17 designs featuring sweaters, tops, shawls, hats, cowls, and socks all these different designs are knit, crochet, and Tunisian crochet. 

Oxidation is my shawl and as I said above, inspired by the natural oxidation process of copper. Oxidation is a 3 skein shawl featuring fingering weight yarn. The yarn I used for the main color is a wool/silk blend and the contrast color is a wool/nylon/stellina blend (stellina is a sparkle thread) and I used 2 hanks of the main color and 1 of the contrast. 

Oxidation features stripes, wrap stitches, short rows, and fun bumps; this pattern will keep you very interested! Some of my testers used yarn support while others knit from their stash. You should definitely go and take a look a their projects to get an idea of the diversity of this design. 

For yarn suggestions, there are kits on Less Traveled Yarns website, but if you want to knit from stash or make your purchase elsewhere than any fingering weight yarn you are comfortable wearing around your neck. I wouldn't necessarily suggest a self-striping yarn only because the stripes will not work out evenly with the different short rows and sections. I can't wait to see your shawl! --Sierra