Pattern Review and Reveal: What the Fade

While we were visiting my parents in Arizona, my mom and I took an adventure and went to check out a local yarn store (LYS) – Tempe Yarn and Fibre. While there, my mom fell IN LOVE with a knitted shawl on their mannequin. She immediately asked the store associates if she could purchase it because she just thought it was so stunning, especially in the colors they had chosen: Purple and Turquoise. These were two of my moms favorite colors, and they were together in one piece!

Upon finding out that the hand knit shawl was not for sale, she began to inquire about the pattern/yarn. I looked at the shawl and recognized that part of it was brioche – a knitting technique I hadn’t yet learned how to do. She asked me if I could make it. I told her I didn’t know brioche, but I could try.

I just kind of left it at that. Little did my mom know that I came home and thought about how I could knit her that shawl that she loved so much as a birthday present. I just needed to learn how to knit brioche. My friend Lisa and I spent an entire Friday evening and weekend learning the basics of brioche until we mastered it.

I felt scared. I felt challenged. I felt ready. Here goes nothing.

*This post may contain affiliated links. For more information on this, please see my Disclosure page!*

Here’s what I purchased:

What the Fade pattern on Ravelry from Andrea Mowry of DreaReneeKnits

6 skeins of similar yarn types in a nice fade. Try to find a skein that you really like and then build coordinating colors on either side so it will fade nicely. I tried to put together a similar color fade to match the knitted shawl in the LYS in Tempe. Take a picture of your fade in order and label them A-F. This will help you when you are working through your fade sections!

Jilly with Cashmere in Dream (70% superwash merino wool; 20% cashmere; 10% nylon)
Jagger Spun in Kokadjo (90% superwash wool; 10% mulberry silk)
Heritage Silk in 5625 (85% merino superwash wool; 15% mullberry silk)
Online Supersocke in 21713 (75% superwash wool; 25% nylon)
Supersocke in 25664 (55% merino wool; 25% nylon; 20% silk)
Painted Desert in 108 (100% superwash wool)

A 32” Addi Circular Knitting Needle in size 3

The pattern:

The pattern is extremely easy to follow. Andrea does a great job at explaining everything and is consistent throughout the pattern. She also put together a series of YouTube videos on how to do portions of the shawl, so that helps knowing you can watch to see what it’s supposed to look like and to confirm you’re doing it correctly. It made starting the pattern a little, tiny bit, less frightening to me.

This was my first time doing brioche in a pattern. I learned the basic skills, but this pattern requires some increases by 2 and increases by 4, but she also has videos to go over that part as well.

I had to start my shawl over about 7 times because I kept messing up and knowing I was giving it to my mom for her birthday (that was the goal), I wanted it to be good and have as little mistakes as possible. I also had to focus really really hard while I was knitting through the brioche repeats . The slightest distraction had me missing a yarn over in the right place and it would be wrong. (Repeat after me: Slip one yarn over, bark, slip one yarn over, bark) 🙂

I eventually got the hang of it and was able to knit in public again! The garter town was the easiest part because garter is just straight knit and you just had to remember to do your increases (knit f/b) on the sides and in the middle to kept the shawl shape.

I decided to keep the tassels off of the shawl as well, because I didn’t think my mom would like them. This is obviously an optional part of the pattern.

Overall, I would recommend this pattern to anyone! If I was able to knit this shawl including the brioche as a beginner, anyone can do it. I’m still newish to knitting things other than scarfs and hats, so this was a big accomplishment!

It was really fun to knit this shawl and brioche is definitely addicting! I’m already ready for my next project (Psst: Ramble Shawl also by Andrea)

Sizing:

My friend Lisa, the same one who learned the brioche with me, decided to knit this shawl at the same time as me (mostly so I could ask her questions if I got stuck! What a friend!) She wanted to make hers a little smaller than the original pattern though — so here are some notes on how to easily make it a little smaller.

On the brioche sections, remove 1-2 repeats from the pattern in each fade section. On the garter sections, remove the extra 2 rows from rows 3-6 and rows 15-18 on each repeat fade section. This will cut it down by approximately 100 stitches.

Blocking:

To block, just soak the finished shawl in the sink for 20 minutes with cold water. Wring out as much water as you can. Using T-pins, pin the shawl carefully trying not to stretch it too much on some blocks and allow it to dry fully. Weave in any ends with a yarn needle.

Final measurements:

Mine:			Lisa:

34” top to bottom down the middle			28.5” top to bottom down the middle

68” wingspan			60.5” wingspan

44” garter edge			39” garter edge