Of the entire calendar year, I have a few months that are my favourite. August and September are two of them (June is my other favourite month). I love the autumnal changes that are so insidious that one day you wake up and think, “Wow. It’s Fall. How did that happen?!” It is also prime camping season for us!
When I saw Alicia Plummer’s new free (!!) design, Campside, I messaged her immediately on Ravelry to see if she would let me test knit. I was so excited to both stash dive (I was picturing my version in a quiet neutral) and cast on. In the midst of thoroughly enjoying the simplicity of this design, my wrist “injury” happened which slowed me down significantly. I powered through, it is finished now and it is as lovely as I thought it would be!
Pattern: Campside by Alicia Plummer
Yarn: Rowan Sheep Breeds DK [discontinued], 4 balls, in colour Ivy
Needles: 4.5mm
The pattern is beautifully written, as are all of Alicia’s patterns that I have had the pleasure to knit. She gives charts for each ‘side’ of the shawl so for the beginning or novice lace knitter, you don’t have to work out how to mirror your stitches or patterning. For the center stitch, she recommends using stitch markers but I actually only used one to flag me on the WS of the shawl when I was working back. I tend to fly past the center stitch otherwise! I’m not a big fan of stitch markers so it was all I needed. Before you ask why, it is because they get in my way, fall off my needles and I lose them all the time!
There are some small details that Alicia included in this pattern that I just love:
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The ribbed border is a perfect finish to a simple and elegant design,
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In the ribbed border, the way the increases in the rib are done leave lovely triangles (for lack of a better way to describe them!) that don’t fight with the rib but didn’t force the knitter (me!) to increase in rib, and
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The centre stitch is a lovely detail which becomes ‘embossed’ by the increases on either side which I love the appearance of over YO increases.
The yarn, while discontinued and a crying shame, is wonderful for a pattern like this as there is wonderful stitch definition. I still have a few balls of it in my stash as well as a sweater’s quantity of another colour. I’m not sure what I will do with it but I am saving it for something special.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy knitting your Campside as much as I enjoyed mine!
Lovely pattern, Alicia – thank you for the opportunity to test once again :)