Tag: shawl

Alternatives to the Hidden Gems Shawl Pattern

Hidden Gems was a popular free shawl knitting pattern. Since it is no longer available, I have found some similar patterns for knitters. Check out the list and let me know if you choose one.

Maybe at some point the creator of the Hidden Gems shawl pattern will re-release her pattern. It was listed on her website, but the website is no long up. I’ve had readers ask about this pattern.

I want to be helpful, but I no longer have the pattern printout. All I can do is try to figure out how this thing was knit. Or, I can suggest some similar patterns that may be helpful. That would be easier, and it turns out there are quite a few very similar knits. None of the patterns I found were free.

Hidden Gems shawl knitting
hidden gems shawl
begging end of hidden gems
ending edge of hidden gems
end tail of hidden gems
Hidden gems shawl
Hidden Gems free shawl pattern
Hand-spun shawl / scarf
Hidden Gems shawl knitting

Triangle Shawl Patterns

The Hidden Gems is a triangle shawl. It was a free pattern. It has a “ridge” that begins by running down the center of the knitting. Once the shawl is wide enough, decreases are made along one edge, while the other continues with increases. You can read my notes on the page I wrote while knitting the pattern. I honestly don’t think the pattern would be difficult to figure out, but I don’t have time to do that. A savvy knitter could work it out.

Instead, I am going to list some shawl patterns here that may make a good substitute for Hidden Gems. I chose them because they have that center “ridge” for at least part of the shawl. They are not free patterns, and the difficulty (and yarn amounts) will vary. I honestly don’t mind supporting a designer who has gone to the trouble of creating a decent, readable pattern. All links go to the designer’s Ravelry page.

Search For Similar Shawl Patterns

If you’d like to do your own search for shawl patterns, in hopes of finding something that is free, keep these keywords in mind.

The Hidden Gems is listed as a triangle shawl, which it is. It is also asymetrical. If you want a smaller shawl, search for a shawlette. Search on Google, Ravelry, Pinterest, and Etsy to find shawl patterns. Just be careful of free patterns by designers that are not well known.

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Knitting The Hidden Gems Free Shawl Pattern (Discontinued)

This free shawl pattern is simple enough for beginners to get practice.

I knit this scarf back in 2022. It was offered as a free pattern by Lindsey Wong. The pattern came from her website, which is no longer up and running.

I’ve written a post about alternative and similar patterns for those who are interested, but none of them are free.

Hidden Gems shawl knitting
Continue reading “Knitting The Hidden Gems Free Shawl Pattern (Discontinued)”

Emma’s Yarn Colors Gatsby and Farmer’s Market

Whenever I buy yarn it’s a guess as to how it will look once knit up. Unless I am working with a solid color it really is a crap shoot with speckled and variegated yarns.

Below is my photo of some beautiful yarn purchased from Four Purls. The central Florida yarn store has a yarn truck which makes stops around the state to sell to us poor folk who don’t have a local store.

The yarn in my photo is “Gatsby” and “Farmer’s Market”. Gatsby is mostly white with blackish speckles. I’ve been looking online for similar yarn. The variegated Farmer’s Market caught my eye because of all those luscious shades of blue and pink. It’s a guess as to how it will look once knit up. So I’d like to share that on this page.

Emma's Yarn in Gatsby and Farmer's Market colors.
Emma’s Yarn colors: Gatsby and Farmer’s Market

I am using these two yarns to knit a triangle shawl with skinny stripes, alternating the two colors. The pattern is free to download at Ravelry. It’s called “Sun Kissed” by Veronika Jobe. Her stripes are green and white with speckles. I like the frilly lace edging. I don’t see anywhere what colors she used, only the yarn types. Someone guessed that “Optic” was the Mad Tosh color, and I think that my Gatsby skein comes close. The alternating stripes color could really be anything, but since I had purchased Farmer’s Market at the same time, I wondered what a variegated yarn would look like alongside the speckled white.

Farmers Market yarn skein is variegated blue, peach, teal, yellow-green and white.
Pretty “Farmer’s Market” skein by Emma’s Yarn

After I wound my balls of yarn (I don’t have a winder), I couldn’t wait to get started on this pattern. I have cast on and knit a few rows of the shawl, which is pretty simple (don’t know about that lace edge, but that comes later). Because both the colors are light, the stripes are not as noticeable, but I expected that. I think it’s pretty. I wish the white had more pronounced “speckles” but maybe they will show up more along the lacy border.

The Super Silky Emma’s Yarn is a joy to knit with. I just finished knitting the Dewdrops shawl using it, and had to buy more. I don’t really wear shawls, but they are fun to knit.

knitting sun-kissed shawl
Beginning knitting the Sun Kissed shawl pattern

Mystery Knit Along Clue Three Changes Made, Spoiler Images

I’m blogging about my journey as I attempt to complete a MKAL (mystery knit along) challenge.  Well, for me it’s a challenge.  I have spoiler images on this page, if you are beginning this KAL!

In the Through the Loops forum at Ravelry we are sharing progress, problems, questions, and ideas while knitting an asymmetrical shawl from clues doled out over the course of about six weeks by the designer. I’ve been behind from the beginning, but only by a few days.  This requires a LOT of knitting.  Far more knitting than I have ever done in such a short amount of time, and in a pattern far more difficult than I have ever attempted.

It takes discipline and concentration and I am having fun!

Although the shawl requires 2 skeins of yarn, a number of knitters were worried about running out of yarn.  Some ran out, and I am one of them.  As I began Clue #3 which would have had 3 rows of color A (my yellow color), I knew there wasn’t enough.

mystery shawl knit-along clue three
Starting Clue 3 and realizing the yellow yarn is gone!

I decided to ask in the forum if anyone had simply changed to Color B, or if that would mean running out of that color eventually.

The designer, Kirsten Kapur, suggested I could use a contrast color from my stash, which could also be added in later in the pattern. I liked this idea, so I wouldn’t have to stop knitting and fall further behind. Many people have already moved on to Clue Four at this point.  I guess I will also add this new color in somewhere else.  It’s my backup if Color B begins to get short.

The trouble was, my stash of yarn is pretty small. And I needed fingering weight in a color that would go with light blue and cumin yellow! Probably a pretty green or another shade of blue would have been the best choice, but I didn’t have either of those. So to finish up my Clue #3 rows I substituted a rust color for the yellow.

Now my shawl will contain three colors, but only little of the third color.  I hope in the long run it will all look okay.

shawl knitting clue 3
Added Color C, which is rust to finish up Clue #3

I have now begun Clue #4, but it’s a toughie, so I’ll wait until morning, when my mind is fresh and full of coffee, to do more knitting.

By the way, some people are actually knitting 2 of these shawls at once! And many knitters get the clue finished within a day! Then there are those who have only just decided to start, or are behind like me. At least I don’t feel like I am the worst knitter in the group.

Miss bags rust color ball of yarn
“Canyon Wren” is a rust color yarn and is now my Color C for this project.