PIP Shawl Test Knit

Thank you for your interest! This test is now closed, and testers will be notified by the end of the day on Tuesday, July 26. Thanks for your interest!

PIP is a straightforward triangular shawl with a little stockinette, a couple of bands of eyelets, and a whole lot of mosaic. The five-band structure means you can really show off your contrasting yarn(s): pair speckles, leftovers, or a long gradient with a solid main color for a unique version.

PIP stands for "perfectly imperfect." I designed the shawl to use up leftovers of one of my favorite yarns. Toward the end, I ran short of my CC1, then my MC. Instead of ripping the whole thing out and starting again, I pulled the closest color I had in my stash to the one that had lost yarn chicken and kept knitting. I hope PIP can serve as a reminder to all of us that on the journeys that are our lives, done is often better than perfect—and that if we want something, sometimes we just have to keep going until we get it.

About the Pattern:

DIMENSIONS:
Wingspan: 69” [175.5 cm]
Center Depth: 34” [86.5 cm]

Measurements taken after firm blocking. Minor modifications are most likely fine, but please check with me first.

YARN:
I used Blue Skin Yarns Oliver (75% Wool, 15% Cashmere, 10% Silk; 497 yd / 454 m per 115 g / 4.06 oz skein):
— MC: 2 skeins, shown in Forgiveness
— CC1: 1 skein, shown in Evensong
— CC2: 1 skein, shown in Arizona
— CC3: 1 skein, shown in Katsa

You are welcome to substitute another fingering weight yarn with similar yardage.

YARDAGE:
— MC: approximately 557 yd / 510 m of fingering weight yarn
— CC1: approximately 195 yd / 179 m of fingering weight yarn (or, to work the two CC1 bands in different colors, 54 yd / 50 m of one and 141 yd / 129 m of another)
— CC2: approximately 173 yd / 159 m of fingering weight yarn (or, to work the two CC2 bands in different colors, 68 yd / 63 m of one and 106 yd / 97 m of the other)
— CC3: approximately 99 yd / 91 m of fingering weight yarn

Totals include a 15% buffer. Using solid or tonal colorways for either your MC or your CCs will show the mosaic best.

MODIFICATION OPTIONS:
You are welcome to make the shawl larger or smaller or to alter the mosaic placement, as long as some testers knit according to the pattern.

The pattern will help you figure out these modifications, and obviously they will affect your yardage usage. If you follow a modification, I will ask you to track yardage carefully and note any changes on your Ravelry project page for future knitters to follow, if desired.

You are also welcome to play with the color scheme.

NEEDLES:
US 5 [3.75 mm] circular needles, or size needed to obtain gauge; 40" [100 cm] or longer are recommended to accommodate large number of stitches

NOTIONS:
2 stitch markers, tapestry needle

GAUGE:
20 stitches and 27 rows = 4” [10 cm] in stockinette stitch after firm blocking. Gauge is not crucial but will affect yardage used and final dimensions.

TECHNIQUES REQUIRED:
Single increases and decreases, yarn overs, mosaic knitting, garter tab cast-on. Information about relevant stitches and techniques is included with the pattern, so if you’re comfortable with most what's listed here and are willing to learn the rest, you are welcome to apply.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Mosaic motif is written and charted. Pattern has been professionally tech edited.

About the Test:

TESTER SELECTION:
I’m looking for at least 10 testers. I may accept more. If there are more interested testers than I can accommodate, I'll make selections based on past projects (including photography, notes, ratings, etc.) as well as creating a good mix of yarn choice, experience, and instruction preference among testers. You can read more about how I select testers here.

TEST TIMELINE:
Testing call posted: Monday, July 25, 2022
Testers selected and notified by: End of day on Tuesday, July 26, 2022 (EST)
Test deadline: Sunday, September 18, 2022

EXPECTATIONS:
To successfully complete this test knit, I ask that you:

  • Track the yardage you use.

  • Let me know any time you have any doubt about something in the pattern, you find a mistake (actual or suspected), an instruction seems unclear, etc. If you’re wondering about it, other knitters will be, too, and I want to clear up the confusion!

  • Finish your project by the deadline noted above, including blocking and photographing.

  • Fill out a survey about the test knit after your project is finished, completed before the deadline.

  • If you use Ravelry, create a complete project page (including gauge, needles, yarn used, and photos of the finished piece) and link it to the pattern page when the pattern is released.

  • Bonus: If you are willing to share photos on social media (both in progress and of your FO), all the better!

COMMUNICATION:
We will primarily communicate via Slack, a free tool. There is a web-based version and a mobile app, both of which are fairly straightforward. I’ve created a help page explaining relevant features here, and I do my best to support testers in getting up and running.

Testers are welcome to chat alongside pattern talk. You can also always contact me by email or via Slack DM if the information is private (such as a personal reason for why a project will be delayed). Check-ins at regular intervals are not required, but if I haven’t heard from you in a while, I may tag or email you to see how things are going. In general, I would rather hear from you with lots of questions than hear nothing at all.

PRIVACY:
This is a public test, so please feel free to share WIP and FO photos on social media and Ravelry as you go. If you tag @remadebyhand on Instagram, I’m sure to see them. I will most likely share some of them as well.

COMPENSATION:
Knitters who complete the test—meaning fulfill all expectations listed above—will receive:

  • A copy of the final pattern once released (on Ravelry or another platform)

  • The option to gift a copy of the final pattern to a friend (on Ravelry or another platform) 

  • A code for another self-published pattern of choice from my Ravelry store, good for one year (or the pattern of their choice from my Payhip store)

  • Credit (by Ravelry username or other preferred identifier) in the final version of the pattern

  • Good juju for future tests

  • …and, of course, a huge heap of my gratitude!

TO APPLY: This test is now closed, and I will contact testers by the end of the day on Tuesday, July 26, 2022 (I’m in the U.S., Eastern time zone). Be sure to check your spam, junk, promotions, etc. folders. If you haven’t heard from me by then, I promise it’s nothing personal, and I hope to see you again in another test soon.