From Amy: Sometimes I fall in love with the colors of a yarn in the skein and I feel compelled to create just the perfect pattern to show it off. This was one of those times. **Slippery Slope** evolved from my desire to showcase the long color changes in a skein that particularly spoke to me do its thing against a velvety soft, all-but-solid background. The Slippery Slope shawl alternates elongated slipped-stitch sections with simple eyelets to showcase an eye-catching color-changing yarn against a solid background. Once you get going on this shawl it’s a slippery slope €” you’ll want to keep going to see what the yarn is going to do next! Slippery Slope calls for two worsted-weight yarns: approximately 600 yards of a solid or nearly-solid color for the background, and approximately 250 yards of the contrast yarn, which looks beautiful in a long color-changing yarn or gradient. For the sample, I used Malabrigo Worsted in Black Forest and Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable in Gossamer. The design would work up beautifully using a Noro yarn or hand-dyed gradient for the contrast color, but would also show variegated yarns to great advantage. Level: Advanced Beginner and up Skills/Techniques Used:Backwards loop cast on, forming elongated stitches, slipping stitches, integrated I-cord, I-cord bind off, grafting I-cord. Instructions and video links are provided. Yarn: A smooth worsted-weight yarn in your choice of two strongly-contrasting colors: approximately 600 yards (549 m) of a solid or tonal color for MC (That’s 4 skeins Morehouse Merino 3-strand!) and 260 yards (238 m) of a solid or variegated colorway for CC (That’s 2 skeins Morehouse Merino 3-strand!) Needles: Size US 8 (5.0mm) straight needles, or 32″ (80cm) circulars for knitting flat; or size to obtain gauge. Notions: Tapestry needle Gauge: 14 stitches and 23 rows per 4€/10 cm in stockinette stitch after blocking Sizes: One size Finished Measurements:67.25€ [171 cm] wide and 37€ [94 cm] long The sample is shown in Amy’s stash yarn. Have a blast picking out your own combination! Photos by Amy Snell the Devious Knitter.
