Happy Halloween! New rhombus shawl for autumn

A bright, crisp autumn is underway in my corner of the world, and I’ve just finished a new shawl to wear. It’s called the Rhombus Cross shawl, made with Alize Diva, a microfiber yarn that has a silky feel and a slew of pretty colorways to choose from. I settled on 234 Gold Brown and 383 Ecru so I’d blend in with the fall foliage on my walks with Bodhi.

This pattern is fairly simple, but it has a unique rhombus overlay that adds such beautiful texture and color contrast. The shawl is made in pieces: first, I crocheted two rectangles that form the outside of the shawl’s triangle. Then I made an inner triangle with alternating colors, and sewed these three pieces together. I used the contrast color (gold) for a border all the way around. Finally, in the spaces of the rectangle, I crocheted rhombus shapes using shells and chain stitches. You can click on photos below to see fuller images.

For the main shawl, I used a 3.75mm (F) hook, and for the rhomboids I used a 4.25mm (G) hook. The shawl used about 280 grams of ecru, and about 190 grams of the gold brown. It has a nice heft from the weight of the rhombus overlay, and it’s the perfect weight to toss over my shoulders on a chilly fall morning. The pattern is by the very talented Wardah Crochet on Ravelry. I’m sure I’ll make another one of these for someone!

These past few weeks I’ve also been practicing more Tunisian stitches, and I’ve gotten a bit better with the Tunisian knit stitch. I’m not quite ready to make a garment with this one, but I am feeling a lot more comfortable with the simple stitch, and the purl, so I’ll keep plugging away until I have built a nice repertoire of stitches that I can really play with.

I’m always amazed at how much yarn the Tunisian technique uses. The fabric it creates is super thick, perfect for things like blocks for making blankets, throw pillow covers, winter ear warmers, and other bulky garments. Traditional crochet uses much less yarn per square inch than Tunisian, and most of the time, traditional knit uses the least of all. As I’m a relative newbie at Tunisian, I’m still having trouble gauging how much yarn might be needed for a project. It is easy to underestimate.

The photos above were taken in late September and early October. We are the end of October now, so the ginkgo, elm, and maple are starting to really show their colors. I’ll share some of those in my next post.

Korea’s landscape is such an inspiration in autumn. I love the colors, smells, cool evenings, and decay. Nature extends a palpable exhale when the summer heat gives way to fall, and I’m sympathetic; Korea has brutal heat waves that have been lasting long into September in recent years.

Bodhi especially loves our walks this time of year, too. Recently he had a minor back foot injury that had him taking it easy for a few days, but he healed up quickly. We saw the vet yesterday, who gave him the thumbs up for longer walks.

I’ll be back soon – I know I haven’t posted much in the last several weeks, but I have a new toy I want to share, many more photos of foliage, and some surprises, too. I’m crazy busy at work, getting ready to move to a new role in 2025, all the while worrying about the world’s current craziness. Sharing a bit of goodness with you here is a pleasure I never take for granted. Thanks so much for checking in!