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Anne-Lise Maigaard (aka LittleGreenDragon on Ravelry) is hosting a Mystery Knit Along (MKAL) this autumn, and I'm very pleased to tell you that she used Ripples Crafts yarn for her test knit.  In discussion with Anne-Lise I have devised two new shades especially for this MKAL.  Some of you have already seen the shades, as I took them to Yarndale with me last week where they were met with approval by those who saw them - they are Copper Beech and Green Grow the Rashes.

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Green Grow the Rashes (on the left of the picture above) was inspired by the rushes which grow all over Assynt, and of course the name was taken from the well known Robert Burns poem of the same name.  Rashes is the Scots word for Rushes.   And Copper Beech (on the right) came about after experimenting with different colours.  Both are dyed using the technique which some dyers call "glazing", where one colour is overdyed with another shade, thus creating a third colour but also creating an interesting, subtle variegated effect.


Here is what Anne-Lise has to say about the MKAL:


A MKAL in four parts, containing all the elements of a good surprise (beads, nupps and a gothic air).

First clue will be released November 8th, last clue on November 29th, giving you time to finish before the frantics of December set in.

We will be hosting the MKAL at The LittleGreenDragon Group. Feel free to join us!

Difficulty: Medium. Charts only. The edge has both RS and WS charted, but a written translation is included for this chart. For full circle version, you will be asked to do a provisional CO and invisibly sew together the two ends of the edge (7 sts).

Suggested Yarn: Ripples Crafts Hand Dyed Yarns 4ply 55% Bluefaced Leicester/ 45% Silk, 400m (438 yards) / 100g. Two skeins will get you a regular size crescent shaped shawl, twice that for a full circle.
Or Ripples Crafts Hand Dyed Yarns Merino Silk Heavy Laceweight (light fingering) 80% merino, 20% silk, 600m (656 yards) / 100g. One skein will get you a regular size half circle shawl. You need two skeins to work a full circle shawl with a diameter of 100 cm (40 inches).
Helen has developed two new colourways specifically for this MKAL, called ”Copper Beech” and ”Green Grow the Rashes”. They will be released for pre-ordering so you should have the yarn in plenty time for the MKAL.
Available at www.ripplescrafts.com.

The pattern also works very well in skinnier yarn!

Size: Full circle or crescent shaped, in the Ravelry definition of a circle with part of a circle taken out of it. Size is completely adjustable in the first chart. Size (for the crescent shape) using all of one 100g skein of Merino Lace (600m/656 yards) is 50cm (20 inches) deep and 140 cm (55 inches) inner circle.

I'll confess - I have seen a photograph of the finished item, and it is stunning!  I have put the colours up for pre-order in the BFL/Silk 4ply and the Merino/Silk heavy laceweight shelves in the shop, but as Anne-Lise says on Ravelry, the knit will work well on skinnier laceweight yarn, and if you'd like either of the colours in the finer 100% merino laceweight, just get in touch with me and I'll dye that for you.

I'll be ordering the yarn in for dyeing early next week, and obviously the sooner you order your yarn the more likely you'll be to have it in time for the arrival of the first clue in November.  I am away for the week of the 19th October, so will be unable to dye any yarn that week, so please order sooner rather than later, especially if you are outwith the UK.  Posting times to North America can be variable.