# I have to ask this question



## no1girl (Sep 4, 2012)

I have been here for a few weeks and i am amazed atthe number of people who knit, in many cases, complicated shawls....where do you wear them?

I have asked the ladies I go places with....18 of them.......have you every owned a shawl...do you ever wear a shawl????? the reply was NO.Never.


relieve me of my curiosity please.


cakes


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## kiwiannie (Jul 30, 2011)

I like to wear a shawl if i'm going out in the evening,not only is a shawl beautiful,but it keeps the chill away. :lol: :lol:


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## inishowen (May 28, 2011)

They're not worn in UK either. I've wondered who wears them and when.


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## ashworthml (Nov 1, 2012)

Some people in the UK do wear shawls and wraps over evening dresses during autumn and spring time but not a lot.I know I saw a few ladies with them on a few years ago at a party and it was more for show not to keep the chills out!
Personally I have never knitted an adult shawl/wrap only baby ones,which do get used


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## littlemissxmas (Oct 1, 2011)

I was wondering the same thing. To me they would be more trouble then what they are worth in the wearing. They are pretty but I would never want or wear one. I would rather wear a sweater where I don't have to keep adjusting it.


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## Sally Forth (Jul 10, 2012)

Haha! I have never knitted a shawl, but I have managed to collect a number of nice Pashminas with the idea I could use them as wraps for those evenings where it's not quite chilly enough for a jacket; or even for when I fancy I might look 'attractive' with one of these gorgeous things draped around my shoulders.
The pitiful fact is that they just lie, neglected in a drawer of my wardrobe.
Perhaps I should start using them as throws on a table or something.


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## Tennessee.Gal (Mar 11, 2012)

I knit prayer shawls and donate them to a group at church. The shawls are distributed to those in the congregation who are ill or bereaved. It's a wonderful ministry. 

Nothing like snuggling up in a shawl to ward off chilly temps -- I love mine and have plans to make more.


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## rose haft (Jul 30, 2011)

Here's help for Sally Forth. I take a pashmina with me to evening outtings. They are rolled & will fit in a small plastic bag. They DO keep away the chill & I fell snug while covered with something pretty.


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## ELareau (Nov 4, 2012)

I have a few shawls. I like to bring them when traveling as they're easier to maneuver on crowded airplanes. They're also great in summer when restaurant air conditioning is sooo cold and you feel like an idiot carrying a sweater or jacket when it's 100 degrees outside.


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## agnescr (Aug 14, 2011)

inishowen said:


> They're not worn in UK either. I've wondered who wears them and when.


I wear mine......as often as I can I love them, :-D :thumbup:


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## amudaus (Nov 8, 2011)

I wear a shawl and i have knitted them for friends and relations that seem to use them most of the time.


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## inishowen (May 28, 2011)

My SIL bought me one in 1973. It's still in the wrapping in my drawer. I've never found an occasion wear it. I go on cruises and wear formal dresses there, but it's never too cool on the ship to need a shawl. I think the one I have will become an heirloom.


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## dalex1945 (Sep 28, 2011)

I mostly wear my shawls to church, but also nice to have in chilly restaurants.


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## Daisybee (Jul 26, 2011)

I too have often wondered if people really wear shawls. I had never seen anyone wearing one until recently and it didn't do a thing for her. When I was small, a looong time ago, poor people wore them to carry their babies in.


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## DickWorrall (May 9, 2011)

I made my wife one. Crocheted. She wears it watching TV.
My mother used to make them to wear in the house.
I did make my wife one that was a pineapple pattern years ago.
She gave it away to a friend.
Dick


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## BernieI (Oct 1, 2012)

I wear mine to church, I also make them in colors that match some of my business suits. When a shawl is light weight and lacy, it it a lovely accessory to business attire. The funny thing it, I am always asked where I purchased my shawl, and the guesses are actually very complimentary. So I simply use it as a fashion accessory and feel feminine and pretty.


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## Dorabell (May 26, 2011)

Sally Forth said:


> Haha! I have never knitted a shawl, but I have managed to collect a number of nice Pashminas with the idea I could use them as wraps for those evenings where it's not quite chilly enough for a jacket; or even for when I fancy I might look 'attractive' with one of these gorgeous things draped around my shoulders.
> The pitiful fact is that they just lie, neglected in a drawer of my wardrobe.
> Perhaps I should start using them as throws on a table or something.


I have a lovely lilac coloured pashmina and have worn it once, about four years ago to my nephew's wedding. Mine too is still lying in the drawer, might get to wear it again sometime.


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## Sine (Jun 12, 2011)

Tennessee.Gal said:


> I knit prayer shawls and donate them to a group at church. The shawls are distributed to those in the congregation who are ill or bereaved. It's a wonderful ministry.
> 
> Nothing like snuggling up in a shawl to ward off chilly temps -- I love mine and have plans to make more.


I knit prayer shawls for my church's ministry, too, but I have never seen anyone wear one to church. 
I knit one for a friend, and she keeps it in her car for when she is chilly on long rides.


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## BethChaya (May 6, 2011)

A lot of women who work in offices use them as the offices can be rather chilly. I have seen them draped over the back of the office chair and used around the shoulders while working on the computer.


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## denvervet (Jun 4, 2012)

I think that some of them are easy to make so people make them. However,, being a guy, a really nice modern looking shawl can really help an outfit on a woman going out for the evening. Its an accessory in my book. They should call it something else besides a shawl, that sounds so old-ladish, not that there is anything wrong with old ladies!


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## Woody (Sep 9, 2011)

Sally Forth said:


> Haha! I have never knitted a shawl, but I have managed to collect a number of nice Pashminas with the idea I could use them as wraps for those evenings where it's not quite chilly enough for a jacket; or even for when I fancy I might look 'attractive' with one of these gorgeous things draped around my shoulders.
> The pitiful fact is that they just lie, neglected in a drawer of my wardrobe.
> Perhaps I should start using them as throws on a table or something.


You certainly have a wonderful way with words, and I love your added line at the end....


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## Gypsycream (Nov 23, 2011)

Living in a big house that's expensive to heat I often wear a Pashmina in the evenings, my lovely one doesn't feel the drafts like I do. I'd love to be able to knit a lovely shawl to wear instead but just don't have the patience. I love seeing the beautiful shawls everyone makes, they are so fine and delicate.


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## cogemgal (Jun 19, 2012)

Your question made me laugh...we had the same discussion in our knit group here, in Pa. (USA). Most of us are modern women, (we show up to knit -night in jeans, sweaters, sweatshirts) and our most advance knitter is a Victorian-era lover and would live in a lovely world of lace and ruffles, she loves shawls....so what do the rest of us do? My personal preference is a shrug; which is more tailored, without the ruffle edge. Just goes to show , it's a small world.


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## no1girl (Sep 4, 2012)

hmmm I do not go out at night...dont do plane flights these days, never seen anyone here wear one to church...I have a very expensive pashmina which i have worn to a club meeting but find a cardigan easier at my age.


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## no1girl (Sep 4, 2012)

speaking as an old lady.thanks I do not feel the cold I feel the heat.anything over 18c and I am a mess.
cakes


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## Lrushefsky (Feb 6, 2011)

Start wearing them you will get manty compliments and if could wear a sweater then y ou can wear a shawl. I wear them everywhere and totally love them. They can be simple or very fancy. A shawl can go with everything. Happy knitting. Linda


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## Lrushefsky (Feb 6, 2011)

denvervet said:


> I think that some of them are easy to make so people make them. However,, being a guy, a really nice modern looking shawl can really help an outfit on a woman going out for the evening. Its an accessory in my book. They should call it something else besides a shawl, that sounds so old-ladish, not that there is anything wrong with old ladies!


They are not just for women. Look at shawls and scraf by Stephen West Happy knitting Linda


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## Sally Forth (Jul 10, 2012)

Thanks Rose, that's precisely what I bought them for, as we spend a fortnight in Sydney every year to attend the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

March/April weather is very unpredictable there, so I dress in 'layers' to cope with the warm middays through to chilly, often rainy evenings.

Unfortunately, I really feel the cold, and go from a summer blouse to a 'Dryzabone' short coat in the space of a few hours. I also carry a large plastic garbage bag, which is easily rolled into a tiny pack; this keeps out cold wind and rain from my legs while I'm sitting in the Members' Stand watching the Equestrian Events! Gets a few [mostly envious] looks from my more stylishly dressed companions!

['Dryzabone' is a trade name for an oiled leather jacket worn by Australian Stockmen and farmers to cope with all weathers]

However, I am not a 'Country' girl. I was born in the city and have lived/worked in air-conditioning most of my life. I think my personal thermostat is broken!


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## LaLaWa (Jun 20, 2011)

I wear mine around the house, to keep the heater a few degrees lower in winter. And I work in an old building with unreliable heating and air conditioning, so it's nice to have a wrap handy so I don't have to wear my coat indoors. Usually it's summer and too much air conditioning as opposed to not enough heat in winter. Also I keep a thick rectangular shawl in the trunk of my car, mostly for trips to the beach, where I get cold and it also works as a picnic blanket, but it also goes into overly air conditioned movie theaters with me and is there in the car in case I'm ever stranded. When my son was younger it saved many a day by having something to wrap up in, block unexpected rainfall, sit on, lay on, fold into a pillow, wrap around a thrift-store-find. 

So yeah, I don't wear a shawl as part of an outfit very often, but there's usually one within reach wherever I am.


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## Jessica-Jean (Mar 14, 2011)

I must be crazy then. 
I've been making and wearing shawls since my kids were babies; they're 37 and 39 now. 
Worsted weight yarn makes for warm and servicable (not very delicate!) shawls. I've only just finished my first lace-weight shawl, but I've already worn it many places. 
I don't wear a shawl when riding my bicycle - too dangerous. I won't wear a scarf either on the bike; just cowl-like things.
Shawls 'go' with anything! Jeans or fancy dress - makes no matter. 

I also wear ponchos anywhere anywhen. I'm 66, have been a city-dweller all my life.


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## peachy51 (Feb 9, 2012)

I wore one to an August wedding Chicago and it was the perfect thing to wear. My dress was sleeveless and great for outside, but in the air conditioning I needed something on my arms. The shawl is lightweight and easy to carry.

They are also good for me to take on vacation to the islands where it is hot most of the time, but if we are eating outside in the evening and I need something to just take the chill off, a shawl is the perfect thing to have. Down there a sweater would look kind of odd.


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## larlie (Apr 19, 2012)

I am from Melbourne. I agree that shawls are quite rare here. However, I have several, one of which is commercially made, black and covered in lots of acqua coloured beady thingos and looks stunning when I want to co-ordinate a skirt and top. Makes outfit look really dressy and I don't care that no-one else will have one like mine - pleased, if anything.

I also have shawls I have knitted myself and wear them at home, in bed, and when I go out with someone special who just likes me for me. I then feel happy in their drapey warmth and comfort. I think at my age I shall judge for myself how I look and feel in my shawls and don't worry about what others say. I have small black ones which are feathery (handknitted by me) which are discrete and glamorous. Well, I think so, and who else really matters? I tend to want them to blend in with my outfit or complement it rather than to make a dramatic statement, anyway. But, having said all this, I don't wear a shawl outside that often. Always have one draped over my chair at home during chilly weather for quick retrieval.


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## Rosann (Sep 27, 2012)

DickWorrall said:


> I made my wife one. Crocheted. She wears it watching TV.
> My mother used to make them to wear in the house.
> I did make my wife one that was a pineapple pattern years ago.
> She gave it away to a friend.
> Dick


I made a triangle shawl and a cape I wear them to Eastern Star


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## trees139 (Apr 16, 2012)

I have made many ( over 20) circular baby shawls which have been gifts for new babies and know they have been used and loved but must admit I have never made one for myself. -x-


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## DeeMar38 (Oct 3, 2011)

Shawls are really practical and also quite fashionable. I wear mine when watching TV, or am on the computer. They are exceptionally nice when trying to conserve a bit on the heat. I have made a few shawls for others who use them as a fashion statement. Lighter weight shawls are often used as a neck scarf and draped in a cowl-like manner. They make a lovely Fall and Winter accent piece. I too have made prayer shawls and comfort shawls for the eldery or those confined to bed. They make a very handy cover up while in bed... similar function as a bed jacket. Shawls are handy for a quick trip outdoors, riding in the car, and so many other practical reasons.


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## Jean Keith (Feb 17, 2011)

Shawls and teddy bears.....things I'd never think of making. To each one's own, but not me.


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## Sally Forth (Jul 10, 2012)

I was once known as 'the scarf lady' when I moved to a new location, and frequented the local Club, wearing (as it was Wintertime) different jumpers with an assortment of silk scarves at my neck, held with a 'gorgeous' ring which my wonderful son bought for me when he was about 7 years old. A stunning creation made of acrylic in shades of red and blue mixed with clear sections. When I get a chance I'll post a photo, it's too hard to describe. Actually, I'm thinking of wearing something like this when we go on a Coach Tour soon. It's an easy way to ring-the-changes with a lightly packed suitcase.


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## highlandgran (Oct 22, 2012)

I live in the UK and shawls used to be worn more when I was younger(I'm almost 70) and I used to crochet they for a local shop as well as crocheting them for myself and family. I still own several that I made and wear them when I'm sitting working or watching TV in the winter. They are practical and warm and I'm thinking I might make a couple more in different colours. They could make a comeback yet!


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## Oldhenwife (Nov 4, 2012)

inishowen said:


> I go on cruises and wear formal dresses there, but it's never too cool on the ship to need a shawl. .


I wore three on the cruises we've been on.

But one was to Greenland and the other even further north, to Svalbard. They were great for evening wear and looked so glamorous on deck.

I tend to wear them in bed too - when I'm knitting.

My mother had 'bed jackets' which always seemed to me to the daft. Does anyone still knit or wear those?


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## bonster (Jan 28, 2011)

I am sitting here with one on now. I also take one to church year round. I am on the praise team and a shawl is easy to throw over my shoulders when I'm not up front and it's chilly.


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## knitgirl389 (Mar 14, 2011)

there are many ways to wear a shawl....not just the traditional ( or as some would say old fashion) way. they can be wrapped around the neck in various ways, they can be worn with the point ( if its a triangle shaped shawl) more towards one arm (assymetrically) if the ends are long enough they can be tied or knotted..and have you all seen the gorgeous shawl pins that are available these days? they work great for keeping your shawl in place.
I love wearing my shawls, and am always excited when it gets cool enough here to wear them daily...but I always carry one with me even in summer, to ward of the chill of too cold AC.


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## wooly-minded (Feb 4, 2012)

I asked a similar question a while back when I was about to start my first shawl. I did not imagine wearing one but wanted to see if I could knit one. I made the Ashton shawlette(?) as everyone recommended it as an easy first chart shawl and the pictures posted looked so elegant. 

I do wear it but as it is small I wear it round my neck rather than over my shoulders. Looks pretty and keeps the chill from creeping down between my coat and my neck.


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## mariannefr (Oct 24, 2012)

I have knitted several shawls both for myself and children and grandkids as they came along. Mine get used while watching tv and knitting as they are not as restricting as cardis. I have one on at the moment, there is one in the boot of the car also ready for that chilly time. A lot of my friends own a shawl or more as even on our very hot summers we can get a cool evening here


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## pemstags (Aug 19, 2012)

I always wear my Shawls...during the day when its a bit chilly but not cold enough to put heaating on....popping over to my neighbours, prefer shawls rather than a coat or bulky sweaters for popping /pottering about

Pat


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## PaulaP (Nov 12, 2012)

Oh my goodness, just start putting them on with everything. You can belt over them if you want to keep them more in place. Start playing with them, they are such a fashion statement and can make a plain t-shirt look stunning. Come on, get creative, fasten at the shoulder with a pin, tie the ends in the front or in the back or on your shoulder. Make a fashion statement, find the diva in you.


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## Bennieblue (Apr 15, 2011)

inishowen said:


> They're not worn in UK either. I've wondered who wears them and when.


I am in the UK and have just made 5 lace shawls, some are beaded. Even Kate wears them I saw a picture of her wearing one when she went shopping just before she got married. The thing is to make them smaller and for every day you can wear them crevat style with the point at the front and then as a shrug or shawl for summer days or evening. I live in a student area and the students of either sex are wearing them. But the boys do not wear lacy ones but they are multi coloured,


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## rondia (Nov 17, 2012)

I love the idea of a prayer shawl. Want to make one.


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## karenh (Mar 23, 2011)

I wear them at work when it gets cool. I wear them around the house. I wear shawlettes that I have made over my coat with the point on one shoulder. I do not, however usually see others wearing shawls. On the rare day that I do, it always looks so nice.


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## granmarie5 (Jul 2, 2012)

I wear shawls a lot and have done so for the last twenty five years. My SIL gave me my first shawl when she visited us from Glasgow. It is my favourite shawl. The label says Pringle the Weaver. They are great for chilly evenings!


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## jenk57 (May 2, 2011)

inishowen said:


> My SIL bought me one in 1973. It's still in the wrapping in my drawer. I've never found an occasion wear it. I go on cruises and wear formal dresses there, but it's never too cool on the ship to need a shawl. I think the one I have will become an heirloom.


Although I am not Irish, does the fact that I was born on St. Patrick's Day make me an honorary heir? I've never owned a nice shawl and often wish I had one.


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## Lemonstarburst (Jul 24, 2011)

I made some very basic wraps. One after I got home from the movie theater in the summer (with the a/c on--it was really cold in there). Now I wear it everytime I go to the movies. My dd uses one I made her to breastfeed her babies out in public.


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## sandyP (Jun 20, 2012)

I am 42 years old. Have never thought about wearing a shawl until I joined this site. I saw all the pretty delicate looking ones and thought I would try to knit one, I knitted my first lace shawl and I loved it. I wore it around home, I wore it to a study day at work and I got so many compliments I really liked wearing it. Took the chill off from the air conditioning without being too hot. I am now going to make more of them. They are nice to wear. I used a pretty bobby pin to secure it around my shoulders with.

People are funny though I don't think many people like going against the 'norm' in clothing in this city,


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## Beachkc (Aug 24, 2012)

I and many of my friends wear them here in N.Florida. The temp during the winter is just right for a shawl or srug. Easy to drape off when the day warms up. I love them.


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## trish2222 (May 13, 2012)

I've just knitted a shawl for my auntie in Inverness - don't know if she'll wear it but she's getting it anyway. I've knitted countless christening shawls but run out of babies to give them to! so here's hoping auntie will start a trend - we'll see  
I just love lace knitting!


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## susan heierman (Sep 13, 2012)

I wear shawls to work. I have reached the age where wearing lined suit jackets are too hot! I wear high heels, dress slacks/skirt, a beautiful silk blouse and throw a shawl over my shoulder with a large pin holding it in place and I'm comfortable and well dressed. I wear the heavier ones in lieu of a coat. They are fabulous!


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## emhk13 (Dec 20, 2011)

I made the Color Affection shawl for the Ravelry "Games that cannot be named" this summer and was unsure if or how much I would wear it. I am surprised how much I wear it. Work's AC is frequently too cold (I went out at lunch in 90 degree July to buy a cardigan) and now that winter is approaching, too cold in the morning, too warm at noon and cold again about 3 pm. My shawl is a God send. It stays in my knitting bag that goes almost everywhere with me. Sometimes I just drape it around my neck, other times I wrap it around my shoulders. It is easier to put on and take off than a cardigan, just pick it up and wrap. I get lots of compliments. One co-worker comes over and plays with it sometimes and has givem me some new ideas about how to wear it. 

When my husband spent 6 days in ICU on a ventilator in an induced coma in September, I would wear a cardigan in to the hospital take it off and wrap up in the shawl, again because it was easier to adjust than the sweater. 

I am constantly surprised how warm but light weight it is. And it takes up very litte space in my work bag.


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## shshipp (Oct 9, 2011)

I wear mine all year. Air conditioning makes my shoulders hurt. Breezy in Mexico, perfect light cover. Riding in the car, and of course, knitting and quilt quild meetings. light and easy to manage


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## WelshWooly (Jul 4, 2012)

It seems it is a USA fashion and they wear then the way we would wear a cardigan or Gilet. I wish it would come over to the UK again, I remember the 70s as being shawl decade here, though crochet rather than knitted, and I loved wearing them


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## sandyP (Jun 20, 2012)

WelshWooly said:


> It seems it is a USA fashion and they wear then the way we would wear a cardigan or Gilet. I wish it would come over to the UK again, I remember the 70s as being shawl decade here, though crochet rather than knitted, and I loved wearing them


What is stopping you from wearing them? If you like wearing them, there is nothing wrong with that. Give it a go, you can bring back the shawl decade


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## Fiberdiet (Dec 11, 2011)

My shawls are worsted wt or heaver...not the fine lace wt. So I wear mine as another option for a sweater. I love wearing mine shopping instead of a coat which gets too warm. I keep one at work...cant tell you how often I've been asked to borrow it for a meeting in a cold conference room. I take one with me to the movies,plays, concerts, etc.. as an evening wrap for dresses.
To all the designers I say thanks! And keep them coming...


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## valj46 (Jul 25, 2011)

ashworthml said:


> Some people in the UK do wear shawls and wraps over evening dresses during autumn and spring time but not a lot.I know I saw a few ladies with them on a few years ago at a party and it was more for show not to keep the chills out!
> Personally I have never knitted an adult shawl/wrap only baby ones,which do get used


not many wear them done this end ,i think the nearest i have seen is a poncho type or cape with a large fastening pin but none lacey


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## silvercharms (Mar 29, 2011)

Must share with you my only shawl-wearing experience..my wedding-day. The shawl was an nice white one with crocheted flowers, which I'd brought home for my mother from some holiday or other.

Everyone had left for the church, except my SIL and father and me' when I heard a sickening sound.... the light zip on my dress came apart as I sat down to make some final touches.

I must have 'put on a little' in the nerve-laden run-up to the big day. What to do? All my other clothes were packed and somewhere else. It was definitely a time for Valium and some lateral thinking.

I got my panicking SIL ('I can't sew!')to stitch me into that damn dress, all along the zip, while my father fretted about us being late below. 

I grabbed the shawl in case of any gaping disaster later, but ditched it just before marching up the aisle. It disappeared after that and was never seen again.

The dress held up all day, so well sewn it was, and eventually had to be ripped off my body by bridegroom - not in a fit of mad passion, but to allow me to put on my going-away outfit.

Perhaps that's why I don't like shawls any more!!


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## past (Apr 3, 2011)

I think it depends where you live. I am originally from the north, Illinois. Back in the 60s and 70s we often wore either ponchos or shawls. By the 80s that fad was over and still hasn't returned. When hubby and I retired we started traveling. We spent a couple winters in southeast Georgia. There the ladies wear capes and shawls so I made myself one. Last year we were in south Texas and I never saw a shawl anywhere so now it hangs in the closet, but still gets pulled out once in a while on a cool evening to cover my shoulders as I knit.


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## Knitwitch51 (Oct 20, 2011)

I wear mine in the office, on walksto church, while reading...
I've worn them with jeans and a T-shirt, with a suit, with sleeveless tops and dresses...
In Nova Scotia, the weather could "turn" in as little as five minutes. If one lives near the ocean the breezes change with the tide.
I find them easy to tuck in my knitting bag, and I could have given them away almost every time I wear them.
I have pashminas as well and keep them handy
I was a bit timid to add them to my wardrobe at first (I am a sweater/jumper person) and now realize I don't know what I did before using them.
It must be a personal preference, or climate...I very,very rarely go to fancy functions.
Take this morning for example, I'm pet-sitting for a friend who lives right on the seacoast. The sun is shining gloriously, the water is calm, however there was frost last night and there is a 'skiff' of ice on the water. Leaves are softly wafting to the ground from the maple tree in the yard ... and I took my cup of tea outside ... while wearing my flannel pj's and a shawl! Life can't get any better than this.


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## Windbeam (Jul 31, 2011)

Church, cold restautants and chilly nights watching tv.


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## cydneyjo (Aug 5, 2011)

My office gets cold, quite a difference from outside temperatures. I love shawls to keep me warm.


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## Torticollus (Dec 3, 2011)

I never wear them or knit them. I'd probably forget where I left it!


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## Oldhenwife (Nov 4, 2012)

The mention of fasteners for shawls interests me. Spouse makes bone, horn and antler 'cloak' pins for Dark Age re-enactors and our daughter who grows sheep and spins and knits in south west Wales has asked us for some. I've never fastened a shawl with anything, it seems to stay where it's put.

Perhaps it's the way I put 'em


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## KnittingLinda (May 7, 2011)

inishowen said:


> They're not worn in UK either. I've wondered who wears them and when.


There was a famous photograph of Kate Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge, wearing a shawl......


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## SherryH (Apr 4, 2011)

I wear mine to keep my shoulders warm in the mornings, and while I'm reading in bed. Occasionally, I wear them out and about, but not too often. Partly, because I didn't do a fantastic job on them so they don't look spectacular.


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## mollymae (Mar 20, 2012)

I have a few pashmina type shawls/wraps. They are mostly synthetic fibers, and I often use them as fancy table runners either alone or on top of a table cloth.
I love the paisley ones with gold or silver threads. Really festive and because they are usually made with a polyester type fiber they hand wash really well.
I do knit lace shawls and wear them often


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## CrystalP (Jan 19, 2012)

I have a dark green lace shawl my mother in law made years ago ( like 60 years ago ). I have worn it a couple of times over a black skirt. I wrapped it around my waist and used a saftey pin to hold it. The detail really came through over the black skirt. Now I have it hanging on my shower rod.


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## cathyknits (Nov 1, 2012)

DeeMar38 said:


> Shawls are really practical and also quite fashionable. I wear mine when watching TV, or am on the computer. They are exceptionally nice when trying to conserve a bit on the heat. I have made a few shawls for others who use them as a fashion statement. Lighter weight shawls are often used as a neck scarf and draped in a cowl-like manner. They make a lovely Fall and Winter accent piece. I too have made prayer shawls and comfort shawls for the eldery or those confined to bed. They make a very handy cover up while in bed... similar function as a bed jacket. Shawls are handy for a quick trip outdoors, riding in the car, and so many other practical reasons.


(Nothing to do with shawls but... I love your Hobbs!)


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## mary etta (Oct 24, 2011)

I am not that old, and I wear them to Church, etc. I have one I wear at home when just watching TV. I see them worn a lot - even in the Mall. I live in the southern USA and a shaw or wrap is used in the winter months - coats are too warm.


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## Donnathomp (May 5, 2012)

I have never succeeded in making a shawl, but it is still on my bucket list. However, I do have several cloth ones that I carry along to my place of worship twice a week. I have a crocheted poncho I made that I keep at work. I work in a call centre so the air is always kept cool. Several of my collegues have their shawls handy. I don't think shawls are just for evening wear.


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## cathyknits (Nov 1, 2012)

I've always liked biggish scarves around my neck and shoulders when I get chilly, whether it's walking the dog, working at my computer or on a plane - I can't stand a drafty neck! I knit my first shawl a couple of weeks ago - for a friend - and decided to put a small one on the knitting list for me. Living in Florida I get little chance to wear snuggly knits so I'm thinking small shawls (large neckwarmers?) may be the answer to using all those luscious yarns.


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## happygirl (Nov 13, 2011)

They are great to wear if you work in an office building that is chilly all the time. If you do a lot of desk work-on the phone, computer, etc., they are great to just throw over your shoulders. We have a business casual environment, so I wear mine at my desk, in cold conference rooms for meetings, etc. I have done this for several years, and no one has commented negatively. They are great, portable, and I take them between offices when I travel, and with me when I go out to lunch or dinner, just in case.

Who cares what people think anyway?!!


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## regencylover (Sep 27, 2012)

I don't have any knitted shawls except one done commercially;people might call a wrap instead of a shawl. I also have several of such garments in fleece, one of crochet, a pashmira, and other materials. I also have some that are more like ponchos. I feel chills and drafts easily and have started wearing these shawls to work and church. Some I just use for the bus where the air conditioning is often set on frigid. At work, it is so chilly my office mate sometimes wears a Snuggie.
Along shawl is often very helpful when I am waiting by elevated train tracks of the commuter trains.
I know that shawls go in and out of fashion, but at present I like mine . I also have scarves and sweaters.


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## bonbf3 (Dec 20, 2011)

Maybe we don't see them much because they're very intricate and challenging to make. I don't know because I've never made one but it looks difficult. I can see how a shawl would be great for people who are always chilly in a restaurant, at church, at a movie - places where you're not moving around a lot. They look so pretty and elegant.

If you have a shawl pin, it would stay in place. Maybe because we're so active nowadays people don't wear them as much? 

I think the definitely have a place, but I'm so uncoordinated that I'm sure I'd have trouble keeping one on.


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## cathyscard (Apr 14, 2012)

Hi 
How do you wear them over your suits? I think that's a great idea to brighten them up a bit. Thanks


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## elsiemarley (Jul 27, 2012)

Shawls do not have to be lace or ruffles -- I'm a jeans person too, but often take a shawl or similar wrap with me to programs or meetings -- even to a friends home. I get chilly when I sit still for long. I also have shawls draped on my couch and chairs for my own use, or for my guests. They are less bulky than an afgan. I've given many prayer shawls and people do feel the comfort of wrapping them around their shoulders like a hug! 

Take Joy,


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## bonbf3 (Dec 20, 2011)

cathyknits said:


> I've always liked biggish scarves around my neck and shoulders when I get chilly, whether it's walking the dog, working at my computer or on a plane - I can't stand a drafty neck! I knit my first shawl a couple of weeks ago - for a friend - and decided to put a small one on the knitting list for me. Living in Florida I get little chance to wear snuggly knits so I'm thinking small shawls (large neckwarmers?) may be the answer to using all those luscious yarns.


Neckwarmer - sounds great. Like you, I don't like my neck to be cold. That makes me cold all over! Brrrrr.


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## trixiedee (Oct 1, 2012)

I have knitted several baby shawls for my grandchildrenand also a butterfly shape one for myself when I used to go dancing many years ago. I now have several beautiful pashminas (gifts from friends who go to the far East). I do wear them when the temperature drops in the evening rather than turning up the heating thermostat. I have been known to take one out in the evening. They are lightweight and warm if you get sat in a draughty spot.
Trixiedee


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## tufguy96 (Oct 2, 2012)

Kate Middleton wears shawls. I wear mine with jeans and tee shirts everywhere I go. They are a great accessory.


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## SAMkewel (Mar 5, 2011)

larlie said:


> I am from Melbourne. I agree that shawls are quite rare here. However, I have several, one of which is commercially made, black and covered in lots of acqua coloured beady thingos and looks stunning when I want to co-ordinate a skirt and top. Makes outfit look really dressy and I don't care that no-one else will have one like mine - pleased, if anything.
> 
> I also have shawls I have knitted myself and wear them at home, in bed, and when I go out with someone special who just likes me for me. I then feel happy in their drapey warmth and comfort. I think at my age I shall judge for myself how I look and feel in my shawls and don't worry about what others say. I have small black ones which are feathery (handknitted by me) which are discrete and glamorous. Well, I think so, and who else really matters? I tend to want them to blend in with my outfit or complement it rather than to make a dramatic statement, anyway. But, having said all this, I don't wear a shawl outside that often. Always have one draped over my chair at home during chilly weather for quick retrieval.


I love your shawl attitude; you have convinced me to forge ahead with the making of shawls :~).


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## tielma (Nov 20, 2011)

I have one shawl, which I crocheted years ago. I never wear it outdoors, and only in the house if I am going to be sitting still. Can't wear it in the kitchen - too restrictive and bothersome to keep adjusting. Not while doing anything, moving around, etc around the house. Too fussy, even with a shawl pin. Really, very limited use for me, but I like having it around, just in case I get chilly sitting still!


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## bbbg (Feb 23, 2012)

I used to wear one while teaching. Sometimes, one of the children got chilled, and I would offer it to them. It was toasty and calmed them right down. I also wear one whenever I can, like with jeans and a shirt. Much easier to adjust for changing room and body temps than a sweater. Often, I make shawls that canbe used as scarves, as well. Not too blankety. That makesit easier to wear while driving, etc. 
My favorite shawl was for a hospice patient in a nursing home. She wore it constantly in her wheelchair. I made the ends extra long to warm her hands. She credits that shawl for keeping her well for five more years! She "graduated" from hospice,but we visited every week for those five years. Sending my love to Dorothy.


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## belinda (Mar 30, 2011)

I wear mine all the time, but I use fingering or DK weight yarn, so they're warmer and more substantial. They're feminine and versatile; besides being worn conventionally, they can be a lap robe in the car, cover a baby, wrap around the neck, head and neck,and more...


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## kristym (Nov 21, 2011)

I use a pashmina I keep for when I sit on the couch and knit when weather is sort of cold out...and all winter. We keep the woodstove going so a sweater is too warm for me, but a shawl is just right.
I have a swallowtail shawl I made...a lavender greyish one for my daughter and a multi fall colors one for me. I use it as a scarf under my coat so at a restaurant I can drape it over my shoulders if chilly.


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## whataknitwit (May 1, 2011)

I'm glad someones's asked about shawls. I've several pashminas but however I wear them they don't look right on my 5 foot nothing, rather overweight body. I love the wingspan but I'm not sure how I would wear it.


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## maryellen 60 (Nov 7, 2011)

I love knitting lace shawls. I take them to restaurants movie theaters anywhere you might want to use a sweater.


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## Carole-Jayne (Sep 24, 2012)

It's interesting to hear so many different views! Me? I wear many in many different colours. I wear them more as accessories than for warmth. I usually wear them with one long end tossed casually over my shoulder <g> 2B honest I think it jazzes up my rather tired wardrobe - people always notice the shawl, never the shabby white shirt. I LOVE to wear one when I wear jeans - go figure. Mine are all bright bright colours. "" Panache at 68"", that's what I say LOL


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## KnitWare (Mar 29, 2011)

Shawls can be worn like a scarf too, it is just a nice accessory around your neck that will kep you warm and fashionable.


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## moonieboy (Apr 11, 2012)

I work in an office and I have no idea what the temperature swing will be during my shift. One minute it;s freezing and the next minute a sauna. I dont like the constriction of a sweater on my arms. In turn, I keep a neutral color shawl on the back of my office chair. 
Moonieboy


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## kristym (Nov 21, 2011)

Anne Romney wore a pashmina OVER her winter coat (it was a tan 3/4 length cashmere coat) the shawl was rose colored. It looked fabulous to me.


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## Lillyhooch (Sep 27, 2012)

I have a shawl I bought in Mexico about 30 years ago. Didn't wear it for many years, but do so now constantly. I keep it in the living room and put it around my shoulders if I get cool. Am wearing it now as I sit at the computer - perfect for keeping shoulders and back warm


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## Miminancy (May 18, 2012)

Our church group knits prayer shawls and almost every person we knit one for comments on how surrounded by love and prayers they feel when they wrap up in the shawl. Many of our families are spending time waiting in ICU waiting rooms or ER's where it is cold. Our prayer shawls are at least 60 inches long and 45-60 stitches wide, depending on the yarn and needle size, so they also make a nice throw over legs or even as extra warmth on a bed. We don't do very fancy patterns except for the bridal shawls we knit, which are white and usually a lacy pattern that can be worn at the wedding reception or on the honeymoon.


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## barbtobias2012 (May 8, 2012)

I wear mine everywhere except to the grocery store where it would be a bother (although the supermarket here is cold enough to warrant one). I like the look, the feel, the compliments, and the "My, did you make that?" comments


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## knitterme (Sep 23, 2012)

i have several shawls knitted of "art yarn" my handspun which is giddy and colorful / one of them has "fringe" of yellow silk ribbons / i have never knitted a lace shawl / knitting a shawl is a simple thing to do when a beginner / you knit a triangle / it doesnt have seams and it doesnt have to be shaped to fit anyone but it does have increases and therefore a good early practice piece and doing a border after the main knitting provides a little extra practice that can be more complex


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## Ronie (Jan 21, 2011)

I made one for my daughter and she uses it as a dresser scarf.. the smaller ones can be worn around the neck and I see lots of lady's that wear them like that.. I see the warmer ones being worn when I go shopping. I am making my sis one for in the evenings or when she is on the computer.. she can wear it wherever she wants. I don't know how chilly her church gets but she goes to a lot of functions and she can get a lot of use out of it..


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## Clelita (Jun 3, 2011)

I wear mine a lot. I wear them for anything that takes place in a theater during the summer (plays, movies, concerts). Also keep wraps in the office for when they over do the air conditioned or delay the heating.
My next wingspan will be to wear to go see the Mesiah.


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## joycevv (Oct 13, 2011)

I keep hearing about prayer shawls. I pray a lot, but never felt the need to wear a shawl to do it! I love knitted lacy scarves and cowls but would find a shawl too big and cumbersome.


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## dotcarp2000 (Sep 5, 2011)

Tennessee.Gal said:


> I knit prayer shawls and donate them to a group at church. The shawls are distributed to those in the congregation who are ill or bereaved. It's a wonderful ministry.
> 
> Nothing like snuggling up in a shawl to ward off chilly temps -- I love mine and have plans to make more.


Recently one of the ladies in my Christian MOthers organization died and the prayer shawl that was given to her during her illness was worn on her in her casket. What a wonderful thing to do with that prayer shawl.
On the other hand, I have several shawls that I would use one or the other when I go out to lunch or dinner. Restaurants seem to be too cool for me so I'm always prepared. The nicer shawls I would use to dress up an outfit.


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## stevieland (Sep 15, 2011)

PaulaP said:


> Oh my goodness, just start putting them on with everything. You can belt over them if you want to keep them more in place. Start playing with them, they are such a fashion statement and can make a plain t-shirt look stunning. Come on, get creative, fasten at the shoulder with a pin, tie the ends in the front or in the back or on your shoulder. Make a fashion statement, find the diva in you.


I love this! You are so right. I too wear mine all the time. I couldn't have imagined walking around with a shawl before I started knitting them, being a bit of a tomboy. When I knitted my first lace shawl, I was sure as heck gonna figure out how to wear it, and found out what a versatile accessory it really is.

If you are afraid of the "old lady" impression that a lot of folks have about shawl wearing, in particular the lace triangular ones, try wearing them wrapped cowboy style like a scarf around the neck with the tip in front. It is amazing how warm even a delicate shawl will keep you warm this way. And it dresses up anything you wear. Of course, I still wear them in the traditional way as well, and wore a huge lace weight fancy one to work yesterday with casual clothes.

I live here in Virginia, USA, and don't exactly see folks running around in shawls much either... but that doesn't stop me from rocking my shawls everywhere I go!!! They are a nice conversation piece. One of my customers, a handsome 20-something man, was so enthralled with my lace that he asked to see it close up. He then examined it for 10 minutes in amazement and wanted me to tell him all about my knitting!!! Fancy that!


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## spinninggill (Apr 9, 2011)

I wear them in Scotland - extra warmth in winter at home, or when singing with the choir. In summer(!!) on those rare days when a jacket is too much, but you know it will be chilly later! Be yourself - if you fancy wearing a shawl,just do it and be proud. You don't need a special occassion.


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## T.Raj (Mar 5, 2012)

I wear pashminas/shawls/scarves almost every day and everywhere, in the day and at night. I wear them to accessorize my outfits from jeans to formal wear. I luv them all and I get many compliments. I have a variety of colors, sizes, and shapes but they're all soft and light, except for some that are beaded throughout which are a bit heavier but have a wonderful drape.

Items that are created with so much effort and care should never remain in storage in a drawer, they must be exhibited for appreciation like any other form of art. Maybe, that is why shawls, for instance are not known broadly-- no one wears them, not even the person who creates them.

All shawl knitters/crocheters, etc. should start wearing their shawl creations with pride and joy and start a "Shawl trend"! Be creative, be daring, be viral... hehehe

Have a wonderful time! :-D


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## anetdeer (Jul 16, 2012)

I never could figure out who would wear one too, however, last year my mom and I were at a casino in Atlantic City (the temp is always on the cool side in them) & a very nicely dressed 60ish woman a couple of machins down had one on. And...just the other day while shopping, I saw another 60ish lady nicely dressed in jeans & a white blouse had a shawlett draped over her shoulders...now I have one my needles cause I really think they looked better than the jean jacket I usually wear out.


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## SKRUGER (Feb 24, 2012)

I have been wearing scarves & now shawls for years. They add a touch of umph to a plain dress or blouse. Now I live in a warm climate so shawls do keep away the night chill or chill from air conditioning. I usually take one to the movies so I don't have to carry or wear anything extra. Here shawls are more for indoors then outdoors.
FYI... Real Pashminas do keep the chill out & are warm & cuddly. It is the imitation ones that don't!


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## Ell-J (Aug 19, 2012)

I live in Wisconsin and it gets seriously cold here.

I do use shawls -- usually with a fairly simple stitch pattern in a wonderful yarn -- with jackets & coats. Smaller triangular shawls in a lighter weight wool are great used point-in-front/tied in back to fill in a collar, or with the ends brought around and tied in front for extra warmth. It's a nice casual look with sweaters, too.

Larger heavier shawls I wrap around my shoulders over my coat and either tie or fasten with a shawl pin. The added layer of warmth is much appreciated!


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## #1Patsy (Feb 6, 2011)

I have seen my daughter-in-law in AZ USA wear them going out dressing up. She is a teacher.


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## Lori Putz (Jul 13, 2011)

I too make prayer shawls for my church, but I also wear various shawls at my school where I teach. My room is unusually cold, so it feels good to have something. Since I have made many simple ones over the years, I keep man of them in a basket in the room for students who are not feeling well or are also just cold to use them - if they treat them nicely. If a child is ill and uses one, I ask them to put it by my desk to wash right away though. Over the years, I have also picked up nice used lap blankets at charity shops to add to the pile for the boys who are too cool for a shawl.


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## mousepotato (May 30, 2011)

Let's see, The one on the sofa now I wear when I sit and my shoulders are chilly. This is my big Stonington shawl that I also wear out and around, and that is and has been used by my youngest grandchild as a blanket when she falls asleep in the car (which reminds me, it's time to put it back there for snow emergencies). The one on the back of my office chair is the one I wear to work from the cool days of September, until I absolutely HAVE to find my winter coat, and again as soon as I can put it back on in February - March until late spring. It's llama fiber and quite warm, and it's a shaped shawl so I don't have to keep adjusting it, or even use a shawl pin to hold it. If the ends get in my way I tuck them in my pockets. The Girasole shawl is at the foot of the bed and when my Stonington goes in the car it will go on the end of the sofa. My Roberta shawl is in the closet, but that's the one I wear in the spring to sheep and wool festivals, where lots of wear shawls, but because that one is unique, everyone knows it's me.

Am I the only one in Wal-Mart with a handknit shawl on? Ususally, but I really don't care. I've gotten lots of compliments on it. Do I care that it makes me stand out a bit from the crowd? No, better than some of the stupid T-shirts and sweatshirts with sayings on them I see out and about. Do I wear them at formal occasions? The few I go to each year? Well, I have some Orenburg shawls from Russia, too, and do wear those as well. It's amazing how warm something so light can be.


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## belinda (Mar 30, 2011)

joycevv said:


> I keep hearing about prayer shawls. I pray a lot, but never felt the need to wear a shawl to do it! I love knitted lacy scarves and cowls but would find a shawl too big and cumbersome.


You pray for the person to whom you're giving the shawl, and then they feel the strength of the prayers when they wear it.


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## Janina (May 2, 2011)

Many years ago I used to wear a shawl that I had made in the Fall and gave it to someone who really liked it. Now, I mostly do wraps (rectangle) and I do wear them during Fall. I still have a few that I used to wear at the office when it was chilly with the air conditioning. Co-workers would come to see me and borrow a wrap. I crocheted and knitted some on request for others and I gave some as gifts. They are and were all appreciated. I also wear pashmina when it is not so cold and they are so easy to wear. Janina - :lol:


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## GypsyC1225 (Apr 13, 2011)

I knitted my daughter-in-law a shawl. She said that her shoulders get cold in church. She neede a little something to throw around her to keep the chill away. She wore it until my ten year old grand daughter saw it. Now the Grand daughter wears it every where. She said "I feel so elegant, could you make me another on in light blue, so that I can wear it with my jeans.....Of course now she has a baby blue one. This week she took me to JoAnnes to look at pink yarn. I guess there is one person in the world that loves shawls. Maybe this time, i will teach her to make one.


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## bellestarr12 (Mar 26, 2011)

guess I'm in the minority here - I wear them frequently: in the office (in Arizona people tend to think we need more air conditioning than we actually do) as does one of my colleagues, at the movies (where they REALLY over-air condition), at home reading, watching TV, knitting & crocheting, in the car where DH likes it cooler than I do, on the bus (where I get lots of compliments) and generally "out and about" - I never feel self-conscious, only warm and fashionable! ;-)


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## Chrisjb (Feb 23, 2012)

I bought some pashmenas whilst in Nepal trekking. If you have a Coat or jumper it covers like a coat or a jumper. A shawl can cover what part of the body u want it to. Camping/keeps flies away. Sat at the pictures I put it over my legs and get my hands underneath. If it rains, goes over your head. Trekking keeps the sun off you. I think I have more shawls than coats.


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## veets (Oct 7, 2011)

Year ago I got on a kick of making shawls. Most were crocheted and some had intricate, lace designs. I thought I would wear them but it just didn't happen. Like many people, if I knit for myself I stay within the color way of my favorite colors. Eventually, some of the shawls got used as "curtains".. Many of them were triangular in shape. I found ways to hang a rod, intertwine the widest edge through the rod and drape them on some windows. They kind of looked like valances, if you can imagine that. there is just something so fussy about actually wearing a shawl I could never get in to it. I would be constantly adjusting it unless I was just sitting in once place... perhaps knitting..LOl!


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## bellestarr12 (Mar 26, 2011)

guess I should have read farther before replying - maybe I'm not in the minority after all! I love my shawls! Just finished another one!


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## scottishlass (Jul 12, 2012)

cakes said:


> I have been here for a few weeks and i am amazed atthe number of people who knit, in many cases, complicated shawls....where do you wear them?
> 
> I have asked the ladies I go places with....18 of them.......have you every owned a shawl...do you ever wear a shawl????? the reply was NO.Never.
> 
> ...


 Thanks for asking that question I often wondered that too as it seems like a lot of work (complicated too)


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## wittless knitter (Mar 25, 2011)

i have almost finished the Kate Middleton shawl that pictures showed her wearing grocery shopping. I do not like winter weather, winter clothes and days w/out sunshine. i especially do not like to wear coats. so if Kate can wear a shawl shopping, so can i. so much easier to take off in shops and in the car. in live in southern USA, but we do have winters here. mild by some of you, but still winter to me. hope i finish it this year.LOL if not maybe i'll have it for next year. happy thanksgiving to all.


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## eveningstar (May 8, 2011)

I have knit triangular garter stitch simple shawls from Homespun for friends who are in stress. "A shawl is like a hug," I tell them. I have heard from them how comforting that shawl was during dark and lonely times.


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## Ranger94 (Jul 19, 2012)

I like to use a shawl in the Summer when the air-conditioning at places is sometimes too cold.


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## Pat FP (Nov 30, 2011)

Take care on airplanes that the beautiful shawls do not catch, they have velcro to attatch the headrest covers on some planes. I do not have a knitted shawl but I wear the cloth kind to theater movies, church. I had a very fashioable guy friend to tell me wear the shawl, do not let the shawl wear me! so drape it nicely and put one end back over your shoulder with a flare.


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## bellestarr12 (Mar 26, 2011)

Oldhenwife said:


> The mention of fasteners for shawls interests me. Spouse makes bone, horn and antler 'cloak' pins for Dark Age re-enactors and our daughter who grows sheep and spins and knits in south west Wales has asked us for some. I've never fastened a shawl with anything, it seems to stay where it's put.
> 
> Perhaps it's the way I put 'em


those sound like fantastic shawl pins! I'll bet they'd sell - I've been thinking of making some from mesquite prunings.


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## froggydart (Jul 15, 2011)

I went on a cruise in September, I took 2 shawls (lace weight) with me and wore them in the evening. I saw lovely shawls everywhere in the evening. They keep the ships chilly especially in the fancy dining room. I received lots of comments. When pinned or tied they don't need adjusting. 
Start a fad.
Blessings,, Teri


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## msdotsy1 (Oct 17, 2012)

Speaking of which since the weather got chillier and I keep the heat at 68*F I have been searching for my shawl turned poncho that my sister-in-law knitted for me from homespun, it is so nice and snug but I can't find it! 

Us 'mericans love our shawls. We do!!!


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## Mystikerin (Jul 19, 2011)

I love my scarves, I prefer them over sweaters. Plus, they help hide my ugly scar from surgery. I am planning on making more.


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## joycevv (Oct 13, 2011)

Thanks Belinda! NOW I get it!


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## vannavanna (Oct 15, 2012)

cakes said:


> I have been here for a few weeks and i am amazed atthe number of people who knit, in many cases, complicated shawls....where do you wear them?
> 
> I have asked the ladies I go places with....18 of them.......have you every owned a shawl...do you ever wear a shawl????? the reply was NO.Never.
> 
> ...


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## lettuceshop (May 20, 2011)

I think wearing a shawl has to be a conscious decision because the usual reaction is to grab a cardigan or light jacket. I made myself a shawl and I have worn it on a few occasions ie: church. It is wonderful to wear in the mall as it is not so cumbersome as a all of a sudden too warm jacket. It is rather like wearing a hat except it doesn't muss your hair.


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## LunaDragon (Sep 8, 2012)

I think if you like them as they are so beautiful, why need a occasion? I want to make one so I could wear it all the time. I want a whole closet of them.


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## valj46 (Jul 25, 2011)

We are a vain lot over here always thinking what others think ,i'm sure you look fine ,i won't wear long skirts thinking i look like old mother hubbard being 5ft 2"


whataknitwit said:


> I'm glad someones's asked about shawls. I've several pashminas but however I wear them they don't look right on my 5 foot nothing, rather overweight body. I love the wingspan but I'm not sure how I would wear it.


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## JudyK (Jul 4, 2012)

I wear them quite often-- to work, as our Southern California winter mornings are chilly and in the evenings to go most anywhere--children's school events, dinner, sitting outside. They're also great for planes and movie theaters when the AC is colder than I like.


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## vannavanna (Oct 15, 2012)

valj46 said:


> We are a vain lot over here always thinking what others think ,i'm sure you look fine ,i won't wear long skirts thinking i look like old mother hubbard being 5ft 2"
> 
> 
> whataknitwit said:
> ...


Hey I wear long skirts all the time, tree trunk legs necitate.


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## evesch (Apr 3, 2011)

To Church, walking, out to eat. Anywhere "I" please as I do not follow what is "fashion". Someone else can follow me or I do not "need" them to confirm who and what I am. And believe me I am niether slim, pretty or popular or wealthy so I really have no need to impress anyone but myself. If I was any or all of those I hope I would still not feel a need to follow someone's else's lead. If I wear it, it's because I want to.


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## WelshWooly (Jul 4, 2012)

My age, you start being an individual once you are over 60 and you start having people looking at you as if you had gone a little mad. But I have come to the conclusion that there is nothing to stop me wearing them in my own home so I have started knitting a DK wingspan and a self stripping chunky boucle. plain triangle. I keep the central heating low foe my dogs, they are both Shetland Sheep dogs and their heavy fur makes them over heat easily. so why shouldn't I wear a shawl rather than a cardie


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## lneighbors3 (Oct 19, 2011)

I have made many shawls, both knit and crochet. My husband and I keep 4 around in our living room to throw over our shoulders if we get chilled while reading. I have several that are for wearing outside the house - to church, parties, or even just the grocery store. I also have a pashmina that I use mainly as a fashion accent for going out. I have also gifted shawls to ladies at church who actually keep them there for times when they are too chilly.

Lynne


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## mousepotato (May 30, 2011)

WelshWooly said:


> My age, you start being an individual once you are over 60 and you start having people looking at you as if you had gone a little mad. But I have come to the conclusion that there is nothing to stop me wearing them in my own home so I have started knitting a DK wingspan and a self stripping chunky boucle. plain triangle. I keep the central heating low foe my dogs, they are both Shetland Sheep dogs and their heavy fur makes them over heat easily. so why shouldn't I wear a shawl rather than a cardie


You mean I was supposed to wait until I was 60? Must have been overly mature for my age when I was 40-ish <G>.


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## CdnKnittingNan (Nov 17, 2011)

We live in north western Canada and I knit and wear shawls all the time. In the evening at home, sitting watching tv or knitting, I often wear one. When we go out for an evening even in the summer I wear one. When we travel, for example to Mexico, China etc. I wear one in the evening as the ocean breezes are cool compared with the day. I wear them in place of a sweater. Hope this helps!


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## yankeecatlady (Jun 3, 2011)

I wear them wherever I go.


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## nonichinski (Nov 2, 2012)

Goodness me! I wear a triangular shawl every morning when I get up and the house is chilly. This one has long enough "arms" that I can tie it at the back so that my arms are more or less free. I wear one in bed at night before I lie down to sleep. I wear one while I watch TV to keep the draft from my neck and always have a shawl wrapped like a scarf round my neck when i travel. Depends whether they are triangular or rectangular on how and when I wear them but they are so cosy. I love them. Try it you may like it!


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## DonnieK (Nov 23, 2011)

I guess my answer would be, I don't dance to the beat of everyone else's drummers. I dance to the beat of my own band! I like shawls and wraps and I feel special when wearing them. I can step back into the 40's or 50's and dance to the swing or a nice waltz, or I can put one on and step into the two step dreaming of beautiful cowboys like John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, or Glenn Ford.
I can wear a different one and become the "flower child" I used to be. Or, I can put one on as my grandchildren approach with my apron tied on, and wipe their nose as they hug me and say "Is the cookie Jar Full?"

With Shawls and wraps and stoles, we can be who we chose to be and where we choose to be. 

Sorry you gals are missing the fun of the shawl!


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## bonnieclyde (May 22, 2012)

I would be proud to wear a shawl like the one in your picture. A work of art. Did it take a long time to knit it and what type of yarn did you use?
Janet


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## linzers (May 17, 2012)

They provide a great defense against air condition.


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## nonichinski (Nov 2, 2012)

Forgive me for writing again but I just wanted to say that when I wear my morning and evening shawls I remember the dear ones who gave them both to me. Giving a shawl to someone who wears it is like a continuous blessing and those of you who I see make prayer shawls will receive a benediction every day as you are remembered.


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## Dowager (Jun 7, 2011)

If I had a shawl I would wear it at my office. The City owns the building where my office is located, and they cut the heat way down over the weekends. When we come in on Monday morning it is freezing! A shawl would be a nice change from a jacket or sweater. Also,. I often wear a pullover sweater to work, and putting a jacket or sweater over it is a bit difficult and lumpy, so wrapping a shawl around myself until the building warms up would be a nice alternative.


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## run4fittness (May 22, 2011)

They are also great when sitting in front of the computer and you are a bit chilled but a sweater is too much. Using one now! Also, the summers here on the mountain's toes can be a bit chilly and having a nice shawl to drape around the shoulders is great! If the sun does finally get to you it is easy enough to slip off.


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## denisejh (May 20, 2011)

Cakes-The Queen wore a beautiful white one on the Royal Barge during her Diamond Jubilee celebration and Kate Middleton wears them to the grocery store! Denise


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## denvervet (Jun 4, 2012)

I agree with what a person on here wrote. Start making and wearing them and see how many complements you get.


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## WelshWooly (Jul 4, 2012)

Oh if you start when you are young you are considered an individual but start when you are over 60 and you are going gaga believe me. At least that's what I have experienced, I have been told, with all seriousness, that if I'm not careful the Social Services will be after me to make sure I'm mentally competent. That because I adopted a second dog at the grand old age of 62.


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## pamjlee (Mar 11, 2012)

I have several non knit shawl/large scarves that I wear occasionally. I have a knit one that stays over the back of the chair I sit in and I just wrap it around if I am cool. If I did not leave it there I wouldn't use it. I have never made one of those lovely shawls seen here but I would love to and plan to, even have the yarn. Just have to figure out how to follow the repeats on the charts....


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## SAMkewel (Mar 5, 2011)

WelshWooly said:


> Oh if you start when you are young you are considered an individual but start when you are over 60 and you are going gaga believe me. At least that's what I have experienced, I have been told, with all seriousness, that if I'm not careful the Social Services will be after me to make sure I'm mentally competent. That because I adopted a second dog at the grand old age of 62.


What an unpleasant experience that must have been; whoever said that to you has a real problem with him/herself! I've found age to be liberating in that I no longer care when others think I'm here to please them only.


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## valj46 (Jul 25, 2011)

vannavanna said:


> valj46 said:
> 
> 
> > We are a vain lot over here always thinking what others think ,i'm sure you look fine ,i won't wear long skirts thinking i look like old mother hubbard being 5ft 2"
> ...


you must be related to my late mother she had tree trunks ,i didn't inherit them my sister did as all my cousins


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## Csingsull (May 1, 2012)

Sally Forth said:


> Haha! I have never knitted a shawl, but I have managed to collect a number of nice Pashminas with the idea I could use them as wraps for those evenings where it's not quite chilly enough for a jacket; or even for when I fancy I might look 'attractive' with one of these gorgeous things draped around my shoulders.
> The pitiful fact is that they just lie, neglected in a drawer of my wardrobe.
> Perhaps I should start using them as throws on a table or something.


Me too!


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## kdb (Aug 29, 2012)

I wear my shawl to church in the summer time, because of the airconditon. I also wear mine around the house on cool wispy days. It keeps the chill off.


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## bonbf3 (Dec 20, 2011)

This might be an idea for those who are afraid a shawl would slip. A poncho. I was out once, and it was freezing even with a winter coat. My friend let me borrow her poncho. I was amazed - it was like having a blanket put over me. So warm - and it didn't shift around.


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## GroodleMom (Feb 27, 2011)

Lrushefsky said:


> Start wearing them you will get manty compliments and if could wear a sweater then y ou can wear a shawl. I wear them everywhere and totally love them. They can be simple or very fancy. A shawl can go with everything. Happy knitting. Linda


Your shawl is so beautiful! I have many friends who knit shawls and I did one myself but it gets on my nerves! It is always slipping and I have tried a myriad of shawl pins but none really hold it in place. I supose if you are just sitting or reading it might work but otherwise it is just too much trouble.


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## bonbf3 (Dec 20, 2011)

SAMkewel said:


> larlie said:
> 
> 
> > I am from Melbourne. I agree that shawls are quite rare here. However, I have several, one of which is commercially made, black and covered in lots of acqua coloured beady thingos and looks stunning when I want to co-ordinate a skirt and top. Makes outfit look really dressy and I don't care that no-one else will have one like mine - pleased, if anything.
> ...


I agree - now I want to knit one right away!


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## nancyk45 (Jul 13, 2011)

Greetings from Melbourne, FL. I own and wear my many shawls here in sunny Florida because they are easy to carry and with all the air conditioning we have here it is necessary to be able to throw something around your shoulders if it is too cool inside to keep you warm.


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## bonbf3 (Dec 20, 2011)

bbbg said:


> I used to wear one while teaching. Sometimes, one of the children got chilled, and I would offer it to them. It was toasty and calmed them right down. I also wear one whenever I can, like with jeans and a shirt. Much easier to adjust for changing room and body temps than a sweater. Often, I make shawls that canbe used as scarves, as well. Not too blankety. That makesit easier to wear while driving, etc.
> My favorite shawl was for a hospice patient in a nursing home. She wore it constantly in her wheelchair. I made the ends extra long to warm her hands. She credits that shawl for keeping her well for five more years! She "graduated" from hospice,but we visited every week for those five years. Sending my love to Dorothy.


Very nice.


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## MacRae (Dec 3, 2011)

I made my first shawl out of wool not to long ago. I took it with me to a meeting and loved it. When sitting at a meeting table with a lot of people, it's easy to adjust.. much better than a sweater. I'm going to make some more in different colors. You know some of the old ways are worth giving a try but not for everyone!


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## bonbf3 (Dec 20, 2011)

I just thought of a really "cool" use for a shawl - at all those kids' and grandkids' soccer games (and other outdoor activities) we watch! Never sure of the weather - from chilly to hot - a shawl would be perfect - and look really "cool" with jeans.


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## jannyjo (May 4, 2011)

My sister wares the one i made to church, just enough to keep the chill off. Its lacy so its not heavey at all . 
The church doesnt turn their heat on till the first of Dec. so it gets chilly in their. 
And The one I made for me I use at the house watching tv knitting.


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## Esponga (Jun 30, 2012)

This was a great topic I never even thought about making a shawl till I came on this site now I want one! They are just so pretty!!!


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## tlkipel (May 30, 2011)

I wear mine where ever I go, including work. I get compliments all the time.


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## WelshWooly (Jul 4, 2012)

Oh she is, she's what we call busybody, always wanting to organise everybody. I told her that what I did in my life was my concern and that of my family and if she had any more comments like that to keep them to her self as I was not yet a basket case. She doesn't speak to me any more which suits me just fine. But when it comes to clothes i.e. shawls I'm a little more conservative. But I have made a start, I am knitting a Wingspan for in door use.


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## Johna (May 7, 2012)

I am with you, They are beautiful but they are not for me.


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## MTNKnitter (Jun 11, 2011)

i knit and wear my lace shawls in all types of weather and on any occasion that I want. I use them in amny ways and have even had friends at work take them off of me and wear them for the rest of the day--funny. I believe you can wear whatever you wish at any given time.


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## riggy (Apr 9, 2012)

I eventually finished a shawl but hubby hasn't taken me anywhere where I can wear it so i just wear it round the house


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## MacRae (Dec 3, 2011)

I made my first shawl out of wool not to look ago. I took it with me to a meeting and loved it. When sitting at a meeting table with a lot of people, it's easy to adjust.. much better than a sweater. I'm going to make some more in different colors. You know some of the old ways are worth giving a try but not for everyone!


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## rkr (Aug 15, 2012)

To see a plethora of them, especially the smaller shawlettes and swirling neck-warmers and shoulder covers - attend any fiber fest in the summer months!! They do look a little over-the-top there; the ones worn over Tees and jeans or skirts aren't too bad in the heat of summer but when worn with tank tops and shorts, just for the sake of showing off your knitting... It would probably be better to produce a knitted accessory like a bag or some other item. 

Wearing something around your neck usually helps to keep you warmer so to me wearing something like this defeats the purpose of wearing minimal clothing in 90° - 100° F heat. It looks a little silly to me at that time of the year, no matter how pretty the pattern or how well the piece was executed.


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## Browniemom (Sep 24, 2012)

Wear them as a wrap. Great for formal occasions, evenings out or simply to keep warm with everyday. I cherish my shawls.


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## gclemens (Feb 18, 2012)

Lots of my friends wear them in mild weather when going out but mostly wear them as scarves with the point in the front and the sides wrapped around. They are beautiful that way and keep your neck warm in the winter rainy season which here in the Seattle area goes on FOREVER!


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## Cathryn 2ed (Feb 1, 2011)

I have made shawls for my own use for about the last 30 years, after crocheted ponchos went out of style. Once you get use to wearing one they are as effective as a sweater or jacket. Nothing is better for church, you can drop it down around your waist or slid it up over your shoulders depending on the temperature in the room. Ever try putting on a sweater or jacket after the service has started. I mean without poking your neighbor in the eye.


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## grammyv (Feb 11, 2011)

Transition seasons: too warm for a coat, not warm enough to go without.
Times/places when a sweater is not "dressy" enough. Some restaurants insist on running the AC at full throttle.

Keep on knitting!


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## Oldhenwife (Nov 4, 2012)

bellestarr12 said:


> Oldhenwife said:
> 
> 
> > The mention of fasteners for shawls interests me. Spouse makes bone, horn and antler 'cloak' pins for Dark Age re-enactors and our daughter who grows sheep and spins and knits in south west Wales has asked us for some. I've never fastened a shawl with anything, it seems to stay where it's put.
> ...


Well wood (I imagine that's what mesquite is?) might snag, the surface has to be very smooth so as not to damage the fibre.


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## knovice knitter (Mar 6, 2012)

You can actually convert a shawl into a shrug by draping it over the shoulders as usual and then taking the ends down under the arms and tying in the back. You now have a shrug or a shawl. The shrug way of wearing it leaves your hands free.


cogemgal said:


> Your question made me laugh...we had the same discussion in our knit group here, in Pa. (USA). Most of us are modern women, (we show up to knit -night in jeans, sweaters, sweatshirts) and our most advance knitter is a Victorian-era lover and would live in a lovely world of lace and ruffles, she loves shawls....so what do the rest of us do? My personal preference is a shrug; which is more tailored, without the ruffle edge. Just goes to show , it's a small world.


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## Oldhenwife (Nov 4, 2012)

I've found age to be liberating in that I no longer care when others think I'm here to please them only.[/quote said:


> Same here. At 73 I wear what I like, when I like, if anyone objects to the sight that's their problem, not mine.
> 
> Our grandchildren think we're 'cool', some of the boys are confident to have very long hair because so does their Grandpa. They can't seem to grow bushy beards though ...


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## mousepotato (May 30, 2011)

Oldhenwife said:


> The mention of fasteners for shawls interests me. Spouse makes bone, horn and antler 'cloak' pins for Dark Age re-enactors and our daughter who grows sheep and spins and knits in south west Wales has asked us for some. I've never fastened a shawl with anything, it seems to stay where it's put.
> 
> Perhaps it's the way I put 'em


I'm surprised that you don't have a penannular brooch to fasten a shawl with. I've got a lovely Celtic one in pewter, and an everyday one in brass, both metals from that era.


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## Jar (Oct 31, 2012)

This reminds me when I was a child my Grandmother would crochet shawls out of thick yarn to wear for warmth. I have never seen the beautiful shawls until KP. I am amazed how many people knit them. I would love to try, but I would not wear one my body type is short and squaty.


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## Elizabethan (Apr 6, 2012)

I make them and wear them. My daughters also wear them. Even in the summer when the air conditioner is too cold. They are great in the winter to throw on my shoulders when I sit on my leather furniture.


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## generosa (Oct 1, 2012)

I'm addicted to knitting shawls constantly, both rectangle and triangle shapes. It's so easy to do, don't have to count or drop stitches, etc. I knit for friends, relatives, charity. I found a way you can easily keep any knit/crochet shawl in place by using hair clasps or chop sticks. The hair clasps can be found at Walmart or any hair ornaments shop in the Mall. See photos of clasps I've purchased and included in my shawl gifts. I wear my shawls at home when I'm knitting, or wherever I go outside when the weather is cool. Since the clasps keep the shawls in place, the shawls stay on my shoulders without me constantly tugging at them to stay put. See photos of clasps.


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## bethnegrey (Aug 24, 2012)

While this probably wouldn't work with the more delicate, lacy shawls, the heartier ones can look great when wrapped and knotted over a jacket (even my black biker jacket!) or a winter coat. This also provides some extra warmth -- if you're in one of those super-cold climates. Stay warm!


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## lizmaxwell (Jul 23, 2011)

I used to make bobbin lace that took hundreds of hours of dedicated complicated work to make something as useless as a lace collar. For it to be a wearable item had nothing to do with it, it was the challenge of producing an item of beauty. To a lacemaker it was like climbing Everest. There are so many things that we do in our lives that do not make a mark in the time continuoum of life but in making a thing of beauty we do make a tiny mark. I think that many "useless" things that we create that are skilled and beautiful make us feel we are making our own tiny marks. The pride in ourselves from their creation just adds a bit to our spirit and our soul. Making a beautiful knit lace shawl is one of those things.
We make them because we can.


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## Gerry Travers (Oct 16, 2011)

When I was in Venice last year visiting my son and his friends, I was invited out to dinner at a friend's house and was introduced to "elderly" ladies (in their 80's and early 90's)who all believe it or not wore lovely lacy shawls (wraps they called them) and of course I came home with one! I am in my mid-seventies but only retired from the hospital here in Coventry one and a half years ago, so I don't feel too old, yet! Gerry in Coventry.


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## cja (Mar 6, 2011)

I am probably repeating what others have stated but....I have several that I use all the time!! I have one I take everywhere, movie theaters, grocery store, airplane, cruise ships, it is multi colored and garter stitch. I wad it up and put in my hand bag "just in case" it serves as a scarf, or shawl depending on the season


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## MarilynKnits (Aug 30, 2011)

A friend crocheted one for me when I had surgery a few months ago. I use it when I rest either over my shoulders or take my shoes off and it keeps my legs and feet warm. Whenever I use it I think of this lovely woman and the prayers for my recovery while she was making it.


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## BarbaraSD (Mar 10, 2011)

I would have thought in the UK when Princess Kate was wearing a shawl they would have become popular.


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## flginny (Feb 6, 2011)

I have knitted many shawls and I DO wear them often. Mine are done in colors that compliment what I'm wearing and a shawl becomes part of my outfit. 

My most often used shawls are those that are soft and narrow enough to wear as a scarf.......and wide enough to spread over my shoulders if needed.

Virginia


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## MargaretEllen (Dec 12, 2011)

I wear one around the house. It's a 400 year old cottage without central heating. I like my arms free, can't stand long sleeves so shawls are ideal. Apparently, I have discovered my scottish paternal grandmother did the same thing.


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## threekidsmom (Feb 8, 2012)

I only have a couple of them that my mother made me, and I have worn them! My daughter wears them ALL the time, and can't seem to get enough of them! Like me, she loves the lace shawls, and I can't knit them fast enough! They are so versatile! You can drape one over your winter coat, wear it sideways, backwards, around your waist, etc. What's not to love about shawls? Why not wear them? There's also all those beautiful shawl pins you can wear with them these days. I think they are great! And if you get poor, you can wrap a baby in it! You never know!


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## BarbaraSD (Mar 10, 2011)

Gerry Travers said:


> When I was in Venice last year visiting my son and his friends, I was invited out to dinner at a friend's house and was introduced to "elderly" ladies (in their 80's and early 90's)who all believe it or not wore lovely lacy shawls (wraps they called them) and of course I came home with one! I am in my mid-seventies but only retired from the hospital here in Coventry one and a half years ago, so I don't feel too old, yet! Gerry in Coventry.


Will you wear it now or are you waiting until you turn 80?


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## pb54116 (Jun 27, 2011)

My husband's cousin found a pattern for a shawl and asked me to make it for her. I made it with lace weight yarn but it's not a really lacy one like the ones others have been doing. It has just about 12 rows of lace at the bottom (which is about all I could stand anyway with 300+ stitches on the needles - too nerve-wracking) and the rest is garter stitch. She lives in northern Vermont and wears it a lot just to keep the chill off.

I have a couple of heavier ones that I keep on the back of my chair to put on my shoulders when I feel cold.


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## MistyBabe (May 16, 2011)

I do....not many people do, but I have a special shawl a friend gave me that I wear closer to a neck wrap....get lots of compliments!!!!!!


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## Hazel Blumberg - McKee (Sep 9, 2011)

I have a shawl that I made out of odds and ends of yarn. I wear it all the time in my office (a separate building that doesn't have any heat but a space heater) and in the house during the cold winter months.

I also like to take shawls along with me if I'm going out to eat in the summer. Some restaurants here are over-air-conditioned, and having a shawl to wrap around me helps a lot. It's then equally easy to slip out of a shawl.

Hazel


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## Gundi2 (May 25, 2012)

I use mine, it is a triangle one, knitted, nothing fancy, but I use it a lot in the evenings when taking the dog out or to sit on the Porch, even in the House when I get cold.


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## julietremain (Jul 8, 2011)

I wear shawls...or cowls..or ponchos every day.....every where.....at home, shopping,etc....mousepotato, you are not the only one wearing a handknit shawl at Walmart....Over time I have come to use shawls, cowls and ponchos more and more to suit my activity...or lack thereof...I love that poncho stay put....that very small cowls keep me warm while I cook....and that they all add interest to my day and provide a great splash of color....when someone asks about what I am wearing I ALWAYS tell them the pattern and yarn....but I do not knit for requests and sometimes that annoys people...their problem, not mine....
julie


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## jmewin (Oct 18, 2012)

I love shawls. I make them for gifts and for myself. Keeps the chill away. : :thumbup:


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## musing crow (Nov 16, 2012)

I'm an avid shawl knitter! I wear mine everyday! They have become sort of a 'signature' garment for me

They are my alternative to coats. Paired with a hand knit scarf or cowl they are a great answer to almost all seasons. I live in the most northern area of the Pacific Northwest USA. I have heavier shawls for winter and lighter weight one for Spring and, if needs be, Summer. 

In the worst of the WInter I admit to bringing out my down filled coat - but otherwise I wear shawls all the way every day!


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## Billings (Dec 29, 2011)

If you think of a good use for those lovely Pashminas, let me know! Mine hangs in the closet also, never been worn.


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## BarbaraSD (Mar 10, 2011)

denvervet said:


> I think that some of them are easy to make so people make them. However,, being a guy, a really nice modern looking shawl can really help an outfit on a woman going out for the evening. Its an accessory in my book. They should call it something else besides a shawl, that sounds so old-ladish, not that there is anything wrong with old ladies!


LOL. Thanks for the compliment.


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## bettyirene (Apr 5, 2012)

Let's start a new "fashion trend", with all KP(ers) wearing shawls in all countries...they are beautiful


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## bgjcd (Mar 29, 2012)

Shawls are great in the summer, especially takes the A/C chill away when you go to a restaurant. I use a simple black triangle shawl with a little sparkle that goes with a little black dress. I'm working on a white one with lace cables.


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## musing crow (Nov 16, 2012)

bettyirene!
I agree - an international shawl fest!


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## bonbf3 (Dec 20, 2011)

lizmaxwell said:


> I used to make bobbin lace that took hundreds of hours of dedicated complicated work to make something as useless as a lace collar. For it to be a wearable item had nothing to do with it, it was the challenge of producing an item of beauty. To a lacemaker it was like climbing Everest. There are so many things that we do in our lives that do not make a mark in the time continuoum of life but in making a thing of beauty we do make a tiny mark. I think that many "useless" things that we create that are skilled and beautiful make us feel we are making our own tiny marks. The pride in ourselves from their creation just adds a bit to our spirit and our soul. Making a beautiful knit lace shawl is one of those things.
> We make them because we can.


That was beautifully said. You have inspired me to continue writing my poetry, even though it will probably never be published. Now I know why I love doing it so much. Thank you.

(I'd better add - I also love to knit. Knitting is relaxing. Writing poetry - no.)


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## davidsgrandma (Nov 6, 2011)

I love knitting shawls and wearing them. I have only just started knitting them. I live in the UK and wear scarves and pashminas. They are all useful when it is a little chilly but a coat is not necessary. I wore a shawl all weekend - we were away in the motorhome and my shawl was another layer to keep me warm!


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## RavinRed (Apr 18, 2011)

inishowen said:


> They're not worn in UK either. I've wondered who wears them and when.


I wear them all the time...to work, to the grocery store, shopping...etc. I am a woman of my own style and do not care if others are wearing them or not. If I like it I will wear it....

Starting a new trend...RavinRed


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## BarbaraSD (Mar 10, 2011)

For all those who make and wear shawls, what is your favorite pattern? Do you prefer the triangle, circle, or rectangle design?


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## Hazel Blumberg - McKee (Sep 9, 2011)

bettyirene said:


> Let's start a new "fashion trend", with all KP(ers) wearing shawls in all countries...they are beautiful


I like your idea!

Hazel


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## musing crow (Nov 16, 2012)

My favorite shawl patterns are Faroese - I love the way they fit and don't slip and slide!

I make simple triangular shawls with my leftovers and they never fail to please - and they get a lot of use!


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## colonialcat (Dec 22, 2011)

I wear a shawl in the summer if I sit out on the porch out watch all the boats going by to see what each camp /house looks like for the millionth time it is usually just right for s summer evening near the lake. Lately i have tried to remember to use them on chilly nites inside instead of upping the heat more while i crochet or knit. I do lap robes also for whom ever needs one.


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## Maxine R (Apr 15, 2011)

cakes said:


> I have been here for a few weeks and i am amazed atthe number of people who knit, in many cases, complicated shawls....where do you wear them?
> 
> I have asked the ladies I go places with....18 of them.......have you every owned a shawl...do you ever wear a shawl????? the reply was NO.Never.
> 
> ...


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## eneurian (May 4, 2011)

i wear them all the time though i have never make a lace one. my autistic son also suffers from atherogenic dyslipidemia, he cannot regulate his body temperatue. living in florida our a/c is always on and set at 68F. 

sooooooo....i am always cold. i keep two shawls on my knitting chair back. one for my shoulders one for my lap. i wear the top one like the 'old west' crossed over my chest and tied at the waist in the back; freedom of movement, very cozy and the shawl stays put.


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## Maxine R (Apr 15, 2011)

cakes said:


> I have been here for a few weeks and i am amazed atthe number of people who knit, in many cases, complicated shawls....where do you wear them?
> 
> I have asked the ladies I go places with....18 of them.......have you every owned a shawl...do you ever wear a shawl????? the reply was NO.Never.
> 
> ...


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## whataknitwit (May 1, 2011)

What a lot of interesting answers to an simple question. A shawl is now on my 'to do' list..


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## nwjasu (Nov 8, 2011)

I wear mine around this old house when ever I sit down. I wear them on my lap almost as often as around my shoulders. And I treat the lacier ones more as scarfs as an accent piece like jewelry. So I don't like the triangular shape as much and prefer more of a Faroese shaping or a long rectangle that I knit till the yarn runs out.


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## mousepotato (May 30, 2011)

Jar,

I'm 5' 2" and 220+ lbs, doesn't matter.


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## grandmadawn (Sep 4, 2011)

My daughter in law wears hers when she is grading student papers - she teaches math and science at a local high school. She has one at home and one in her drafty office at the school.


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## Oldhenwife (Nov 4, 2012)

I'm surprised that you don't have a penannular brooch to fasten a shawl with. I've got a lovely Celtic one in pewter, and an everyday one in brass, both metals from that era.[/quote]

He makes brass penannulars too of course, and ring pins, but Ann said that they were too heavy for the very fine shawls she knits.


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## mousepotato (May 30, 2011)

Oldhenwife said:


> I'm surprised that you don't have a penannular brooch to fasten a shawl with. I've got a lovely Celtic one in pewter, and an everyday one in brass, both metals from that era.


He makes brass penannulars too of course, and ring pins, but Ann said that they were too heavy for the very fine shawls she knits.[/quote]

Yes, my big Celtic brooch is too heavy for the lace weights, but the little brass one isn't, nor is the more modern Celtic style I got from Leslie Wind for Mother's Day.


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## Oldhenwife (Nov 4, 2012)

bettyirene said:


> Let's start a new "fashion trend", with all KP(ers) wearing shawls in all countries...they are beautiful


Well one of our daughters in law and her two grown up daughters recently went to live near Sydney (Richmond) so that will be three more in your parts wearing shawls - which I knitted in very fine Icelandic wool.

Oh, son went too but I don't think he wears shawls. Wouldn't put anything past him though.


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## Oldhenwife (Nov 4, 2012)

lizmaxwell said:


> I used to make bobbin lace that took hundreds of hours of dedicated complicated work to make something as useless as a lace collar.


My husband makes very complicated and equally useless things in tatting, a craft I could never understand. Lacemaking is mathematical, I can understand that, but tatting?

Pshaw!


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## Oldhenwife (Nov 4, 2012)

BarbaraSD said:


> I would have thought in the UK when Princess Kate was wearing a shawl they would have become popular.


If you mean the Duchess of Cambridge, she isn't a princess!


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## mousepotato (May 30, 2011)

Oldhenwife said:


> lizmaxwell said:
> 
> 
> > I used to make bobbin lace that took hundreds of hours of dedicated complicated work to make something as useless as a lace collar.
> ...


Does he also make chain mail? A friend's husband is into Norse re-enacting and he makes his own.


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## mousepotato (May 30, 2011)

Oldhenwife said:


> bettyirene said:
> 
> 
> > Let's start a new "fashion trend", with all KP(ers) wearing shawls in all countries...they are beautiful
> ...


This is why I'm looking forward to seeing "Lincoln", I've been wondering how historically accurate Spielburg will be, since Mr. Lincoln often wore shawls. Men wearing them into the late 19th century was very common.


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## Beve (May 5, 2012)

I make shawls to give to others and wear them myself in the winter when my shoulders need the warmth. I love a beautiful shawl to take to the philharmonic instead of a heavy coat (although the trip to the car can be chilly!). The lightweight ones are perfect for those chilly restaurants, too.


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## bonbf3 (Dec 20, 2011)

Hazel Blumberg said:


> bettyirene said:
> 
> 
> > Let's start a new "fashion trend", with all KP(ers) wearing shawls in all countries...they are beautiful
> ...


I like it, too!


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## bonbf3 (Dec 20, 2011)

musing crow said:


> My favorite shawl patterns are Faroese - I love the way they fit and don't slip and slide!
> 
> I make simple triangular shawls with my leftovers and they never fail to please - and they get a lot of use!


These are both beautiful!


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## Gerry Travers (Oct 16, 2011)

Oh yes darlin'...I wear it all the time now, when I am at home sitting down, in the garden this year in our famous "summer" which never materialised! And in the car most times. No, I don't have to wait un til I am 80...Cheers Gerry


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## jjane139 (Mar 16, 2011)

Are shawls and afghans essentially the same thing? I have an afghan on the back of my office chair, on the back of the sofa, and on the backs of two other chairs in the living room. This house heats unevenly, with cold spots and warm spots, and something knitted around my shoulders or across my lap is welcome in cold weather. I have a large scarf in woven lightweight wool which I brought from the USSR twenty years ago or more, which I put around my shoulders in church when the wool blazer I am wearing is not quite enough and my coat is a little too much. I guess I could call this scarf a shawl because I employ it as a shawl. I usually receive a few compliments on it.


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## PaKnitter (Mar 7, 2011)

mousepotato said:


> Oldhenwife said:
> 
> 
> > bettyirene said:
> ...


Check out the quilt to!


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## Oldhenwife (Nov 4, 2012)

mousepotato said:


> This is why I'm looking forward to seeing "Lincoln", I've been wondering how historically accurate Spielburg will be, since Mr. Lincoln often wore shawls. Men wearing them into the late 19th century was very common.


No idea what you're talking about but the mention of Spielberg is a clue that it's a film perhaps. We don't go to films and don't have a tv ...


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## spinningjennie (Jul 30, 2012)

I'm in the UK and my friends and I all wear shawls. I wear mine over a coat or the point at the front like a neckerchief.


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## 10Jean (Feb 20, 2011)

It gets cold here in Florida any season in church and our
shawls are apprecisted.


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## Phoenix (Oct 2, 2011)

One of the lovely ladies here on KP knitted me a beautiful red shawl...I live in Florida. I just had to wait til the weather cooled down...now I'll wear it whenever I go out...to the store, to the doctor....don't go much of anywhere else...LOL...but I love it!...I'd wear more if I had them. Plus, when I go to Texas or Oregon or Washington state to visit my kids and grandkids, I'll wear it inside because it's freakin' COLD up there!!!...LOL


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## autumngoose (Oct 21, 2012)

I wear shawls  As a Pagan we do lots of rituals etc outside and a shawl is just perfect. It can keep you warm but more importantly it can also be used as an impromptu tablecloth when out in the woods to place sacred items on  xx


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## Grammy Toni (Apr 30, 2011)

whataknitwit said:


> I'm glad someones's asked about shawls. I've several pashminas but however I wear them they don't look right on my 5 foot nothing, rather overweight body. I love the wingspan but I'm not sure how I would wear it.


You sound like me! I'm making a wingspan right now and discovered (in a brightly lit room) after spending more money than usual on the yarn, that it isn't the color I thought it was! Even checked it in the sunlight before I bought the first 2 skeins. Very dark brown is not black! I also have a pashmina that my son brought for my mother from Iran or Afghanistan that is all wool, and a lovely shade of blue. I guess if I just used it to throw on when it is chilly, and not try to walk around with it on it will work. Didn't think of that before.


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## lee.cindy (May 30, 2011)

With help from the people on KP I have knit 3 lacy shawlettes. I like to wear them this time of year when I'm working in the art gallery or vending at a show. They make a plain white blouse look nice and I always get compliments. Sometimes I think if I were selling shawls I think I would do very well but I'm a slow knitter and would like more than 2 cents an hour.


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## carrottop71 (Jul 17, 2011)

cakes said:


> I have been here for a few weeks and i am amazed atthe number of people who knit, in many cases, complicated shawls....where do you wear them?
> 
> I have asked the ladies I go places with....18 of them.......have you every owned a shawl...do you ever wear a shawl????? the reply was NO.Never.
> 
> ...


I knit prayer shaws, but I also use the ones I knit for myself. I have one that I keep downstairs to wrap around my shoulders when there is a chill in the air. I wear them to church or out to dinner. Cracker Barrel is always cold in the winter and summer and I really don't like to eat when I'm cold.


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## KnitPicker (Jan 19, 2011)

Goodness! I know lots and lots of women who wear them. Many just love them. We wear them everywhere except maybe grocery shopping and I've seen maybe one or two even there. They aren't just for evening wear or fancy dinners, they do keep you warm, they can be made to match your favorite dress, they go well with business suits if you pick the right style. I have a lady at church who wears them all the time, not just to church. They are a big favorite here in northcentral Texas, USA. It's a wonderful thing to make, to wear, and to share.


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## mousepotato (May 30, 2011)

PaKnitter said:


> mousepotato said:
> 
> 
> > Oldhenwife said:
> ...


Oh, Lord, you're talking to the woman who has the Novena to St. Jude engraved on her sewing machine <G>.


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## mousepotato (May 30, 2011)

Oldhenwife said:


> mousepotato said:
> 
> 
> > This is why I'm looking forward to seeing "Lincoln", I've been wondering how historically accurate Spielburg will be, since Mr. Lincoln often wore shawls. Men wearing them into the late 19th century was very common.
> ...


Yes, this is a new film with Daniel Day-Lewis playing Lincoln in the closing months of the Civil War in the US. It is said to be an excellent film.


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## BarbaraSD (Mar 10, 2011)

Oldhenwife said:


> BarbaraSD said:
> 
> 
> > I would have thought in the UK when Princess Kate was wearing a shawl they would have become popular.
> ...


Sorry. Whatever Prince William's wife's title is, she is definitely newsworthy and always being photographed. I would think with her wearing a shawl they would become more fashionable.


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## tryalot (Apr 29, 2012)

BarbaraSD said:


> Oldhenwife said:
> 
> 
> > BarbaraSD said:
> ...


Don't be sorry, easy mistake especially as a lot of British people refer to her as Princess Kate. No doubt you would have heard this on TV.
She is Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and in Scotland, the Countess of Strathearn, she has another title, but I can't remember what it is.


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## BarbaraSD (Mar 10, 2011)

tryalot said:


> BarbaraSD said:
> 
> 
> > Oldhenwife said:
> ...


With all the various royal titles, learning the history of the UK must be very difficult.


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## scottish granny (Oct 9, 2012)

That is one excellent question.


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## MPolaski (Mar 14, 2011)

ELareau said:


> I have a few shawls. I like to bring them when traveling as they're easier to maneuver on crowded airplanes. They're also great in summer when restaurant air conditioning is sooo cold and you feel like an idiot carrying a sweater or jacket when it's 100 degrees outside.


Amen! Or when you go to the cinema, and it's freezing inside. I love my pashminas and take them with me on such outings. My church also has temperature issues (or maybe it's me!), so I take one there too. I have only knitted one shawl and have not yet had an opportunity to wear it -- but I will!


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## Alohadonna (Jan 4, 2012)

I have two light weight shawls that I have knitted expressly for travel. They squish into Ziploc bags and are comfy and warm when I need them on my trips. I always take one when I go "down under" to New Zealand and Australia for their summers in the southlands are a bit cool for me.


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## Karen Liebengood (Jan 28, 2011)

I too can't imagine wearing a shawl. But I have made a couple of cool elongated triangle scarfs and love them. They draper or wrap so nicely and I get to use beautiful sock yarns!


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## Jane Dow (Jul 14, 2012)

If you truly do not feel you want to keep the shawls, I have a great solution for you. Our church has two busy groups of women who knit shawls, throws, wraps that are given to shut-ins, hospital patients, and even some small enough for a child who has to stay in bed at home ( a bit of whimsy knitted in is fun for them). 
Nursing homes and long-care places like them, too, to keep their patients warm when in a wheelchair or just a pretty coverlet if they are bedridden. Just be sure to use washable yarn!! Jane


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## brenda m (Jun 2, 2011)

We have a few hand made shawls for people to use at our church during the summer when the air conditioner is up high. We had 100 degree days this summer but some older people at church were cold so they used the shawls & no one wanted the air conditioner changed.


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## faigiezipper (Apr 25, 2011)

Our group has made a lot of shawls and Shawlettes. We love wearing them on sweaters and to dress up a plain outfit. You can drape them all kinds of ways and use different pins. One of our group who goes on quite a few cruises, takes one or two outfits and different shawls. She looks different each night. The patterns are gorgeous and a lot of fun to work on. I think the are catching on.


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## whataknitwit (May 1, 2011)

tryalot said:


> BarbaraSD said:
> 
> 
> > Oldhenwife said:
> ...


If you want to be completly accurate she is just the Duchess of Cambridge, she would be Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge if she was the dowager, that is the widow of a Duke. If you're a fan of Downton Abbey you will know that the character played by Maggie Smith is the Dowager Duchess.


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## BaraKiss (Jun 15, 2012)

I wear my shawls often. Sometimes I use one as a scarf either in a decorative way or as a warm winter scarf in a kind of squished up manner. Sometimes I wear it instead of a sweater. I have the problem of becoming a little too warm sometimes and it is eaiser and less awkward to unwrap the shawl and later flip it back over my shoulder than to remove and put on a sweater or jacket.


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## Myrle (Mar 15, 2012)

I know it gets cold in Melbourne and lots of parts of Australia, but I don't think we need a lot of knitwear as compared to some places . Therefore I don't think we see the variety of things. We just need a few pieces. My son and family live in Tasmania and do need their knitwear all year round (maybe in Melbourne too?) and need lots of it because they get bored of just wearing the same pieces. They like all sorts of knitwear for the sake of variety. My knitwear just sits in the cupboard and each winter I am luvky if I use one or two pieces. I bought a lovely classic winter white jumper in Brisbane some years ago and have only worn it once (in NZ) and the air conditioning was on in the venue that night and even there I became too warm!


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## Maillady (Nov 18, 2011)

I wear mine in church, its always cold in there and sometimes in movie theaters. I just leave it in my car so I have it when I need it.


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## kikifields (Jul 3, 2011)

I wear all kinds of different weights of shawls all year. 

For some reason, in the summer restaurants and stores think the temp. should be low enough to hang beef; they're perfect little wraps in spring and autumn when evenings are much cooler than the daytime temps.; winter they are great to keep from having the thermostat up to umpteen degrees to feel comfortable.


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## LEE1313 (Jan 25, 2011)

I wear mine to the movie theater. Just enough to keep the draft off my shoulders. And it's easy to carry.
Linda


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## kabedew (Jan 16, 2011)

Although I doubted I would ever wear a shawl, I discovered I do wear them, pretty frequently. 

In a lace weight, they travel really well....better than jackets or sweaters. At work, (and I work retail optical), I will throw one on if the store/office gets chilly. I usually tie the shawl in the back as a shrug at work but it does warm me up. 

I don't do elaborate or fancy lace work, but depend on the yarn for visual interest.

karen the optician


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## flyssie (Jun 30, 2011)

Rosann said:


> DickWorrall said:
> 
> 
> > I made my wife one. Crocheted. She wears it watching TV.
> ...


What is Eastern Star? excuse my ignorance


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## joanh8060 (Apr 22, 2011)

Attended the local symphony last night. Saw several shawls....over the top of suit jackets, over plain dressy tee shirts....I wore a dress with ong sleeves and a lower neckline than I'm used to. Was drafty in the concert hall and I wished I'd had a nice snuggly wool wrap or shawl. Joan 8060


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## dixiegran (Feb 6, 2011)

I wear my shawls both for warmth and for their good looks! I have made several and pair them with outfits of the same color family and think they look very nice. I do get a lot of compliments on them and that feels good.
dixiegran


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## Quincy's Mom (Sep 3, 2011)

Once you have made a lace shawl you will want to wear it everywhere. It's a work of art! Basically shawls are accessories, and some people just aren't in to accessorizing.


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## gclemens (Feb 18, 2012)

Jar said:


> This reminds me when I was a child my Grandmother would crochet shawls out of thick yarn to wear for warmth. I have never seen the beautiful shawls until KP. I am amazed how many people knit them. I would love to try, but I would not wear one my body type is short and squaty.


So is mine BUT I've been wearing shawls since my hippy dippy days and really love them. As someone else said, I wear what makes me happy. Anyone who doesn't like it doesn't matter very much to me.


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## k2p3-knit-on (Oct 24, 2012)

Looked around church this morning, saw several.


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## NancyMc46 (Dec 9, 2011)

I wear shawl with evening dress to chilly restaurants. I have a shawl "fastener" so that the ends don't become awkward to manage.


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## MarilynKnits (Aug 30, 2011)

Does he nalbind? That is a Norse art using Icelandic, Lopi, or Brown Sheep single strand in different ways.

Pshaw![/quote]

Does he also make chain mail? A friend's husband is into Norse re-enacting and he makes his own.[/quote]


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## Justme (May 11, 2011)

I do not wear them as I am always hot. However in USA and I am on the East Coast I find that most women wear them as I see them all the time.


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## ladydenmark (Jul 20, 2012)

I knit those beautiful heirloom Shetland shawls. Most of all of the same reason as some people make puzzles of many thousands pieces  - just to do it.

The latest shawl I am knitting (on and off) is the Princess Shawl 
http://www.heirloom-knitting.co.uk/princess_shawl_items/princess_1.html

If my granddaughter once will marry in a church, it is for her. Else it is a heirloom, for her if she wants it. She likes my shawls - I made one for her to her confirmation(?) - she asked for it.

I never wear those shawls myself, but maybe some day I want to?

Kirsten in Denmark


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## lizmaxwell (Jul 23, 2011)

The princess shawl is so beautiful


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## mmccamant (Jul 17, 2011)

Shawls are useful as an outer wrap in spring or fall, in a cold plane or airconditioned or underheated building. And here, in Chicago, where the winter is cold, a shawl can be added on top of a winter coat or as a big scarf to fill in the neck of a coat. Lacy ones or small shawlettes are mostly decorative or useful in summer. Admittedly, they're not good for wearing when you have to be doing something with your arms, like driving.


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## garlicginger (Aug 25, 2012)

I have seen few women wearing shawls here in California. And, frankly, I don't give a rip!!! I wear the ones I have made whenever it's warranted. I'll grab one on the way out the door. Then I have it for whatever - around the shoulders, over my hair, around my neck, around my waist, etc. Maybe my friends are just used to my goofiness, but I love wearing one. AND I get a lot of compliments and questions and people fingering the material and asking about the fibers, how long it took to make, etc. Love my shawls!!!


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## rkr (Aug 15, 2012)

For centuries women wore (and may still wear) their shawls w/the ends crossed over their chests and then tied behind their backs at their waists. I have been thinking of knitting one like this; the triangular point in back would be long enough to cover the lower back w/ends long enough to wrap over the front and tie around back. This will keep your upper chest warm as well yet leave your arms completely free to work, w/o needing any clips to hold in place or to re-adjust its position.
Very clever those oldsters!
My sister brought back a Harris Tweed rectangular shawl from when they lived in the UK a decade or so ago, which is about 3 yards long and 4 feet wide. I keep it at the computer. Wrapped around my shoulders it covers everything while I'm seated and then down my lap and over my legs - mmmm... Wonderfully warm!!

I hadn't heard of prayer shawls before joining this list; I looked it up today and saw it is of Jewish background:interesting info to me, at least.

What Is a Prayer Shawl?
By Alexis Vega-Singer, eHow Contributor
A prayer shawl, also known as a tallit (in Hebrew) or a tallis (in Yiddish), is a rectangular garment with fringes (tzitzit) on the corners. Jewish men (and some women) wear prayer shawls during morning services.

Read more: What Is a Prayer Shawl? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_5032602_prayer-shawl.html#ixzz2CczH6ES3

Significance
The importance of the prayer shawl lies in the fringes (tzitzit) on the corners. In Numbers 15:37-41, God told Moses that the Jewish people must wear fringes on their four-cornered garments in order to be reminded of God's commandments.

Size
Traditionally, a tallit reaches to the back of the knees when standing and covers the arms. Medium-sized prayer shawls are also popular, covering just the back and shoulders. The smallest size (about a foot wide) drapes around the neck and hangs down the front of the body, but that style does not cover enough of the body to be acceptable according to Orthodox Jewish law.


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## jlschulke (Mar 19, 2011)

DickWorrall said:


> I made my wife one. Crocheted. She wears it watching TV.
> My mother used to make them to wear in the house.
> I did make my wife one that was a pineapple pattern years ago.
> She gave it away to a friend.
> Dick


Dick, you are a jewel. I know your wife feels blessed to have you.


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## mmccamant (Jul 17, 2011)

rkr said:


> For centuries women wore (and may still wear) their shawls w/the ends crossed over their chests and then tied behind their backs at their waists. I have been thinking of knitting one like this; the triangular point in back would be long enough to cover the lower back w/ends long enough to wrap over the front and tie around back. This will keep your upper chest warm as well yet leave your arms completely free to work, w/o needing any clips to hold in place or to re-adjust its position.
> Very clever those oldsters!
> My sister brought back a Harris Tweed rectangular shawl from when they lived in the UK a decade or so ago, which is about 3 yards long and 4 feet wide. I keep it at the computer. Wrapped around my shoulders it covers everything while I'm seated and then down my lap and over my legs - mmmm... Wonderfully warm!!
> 
> ...


And there is a newish trend for prayer shawls in Protestant churches. They're handknit and given to people both as a symbol and as a tangible reminder of the congregation's care for them. Some churches have a dedicated prayer shawl knitters' group. I have knit them for two friends going through chemotherapy. I know a hospital chaplain who has a supply to give to patients she works with.


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## GenevaR (May 16, 2012)

My teenage friends wear them at school, esp in early spring and late fall when it is too cool for their t-shirts but not cold enough for a full sweater or coat, if it warms up --they are hung on the backs of their seats ready for a quick trip outside or to the play ground. Shrugs are also very popular.


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## regencylover (Sep 27, 2012)

The Homespun yarn I bought has a pattern for a Prayer shawl on the band. I knew that this wasn't a Jewish prayer shawl but hadn't heard of the other kind until I joined this forum.


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## Norma B. (Oct 15, 2012)

cakes said:


> I have been here for a few weeks and i am amazed atthe number of people who knit, in many cases, complicated shawls....where do you wear them?
> 
> I have asked the ladies I go places with....18 of them.......have you every owned a shawl...do you ever wear a shawl????? the reply was NO.Never.
> 
> ...


I only have three. One beautiful wool plaid, one fringed black velvet, and one cotton crocheted three cornered one. The wool plaid I love with casual jeans or dressier slacks and a turtle neck when it's not cold enough for a jacket or coat. Great for a cocktail lounge or dinner. The black velvet looks smashing over a spaghetti strap cocktail dress (covers up not that pretty bare arms!) or with black velvet pants and a silk top. I love to feel a bit vampish. The crocheted one is a little "old lady-ish" so I almost never wear it---maybe just at home when it's cool in the house. The main thing is you need to plan your outfit around draping these pretty items in a stylish fashion. I'll sometimes use a pretty brooch to fasten it on one shoulder and just let it trail. The thing is, if you wear it with pizzazz it's never out of style.


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## Evie RM (Sep 19, 2012)

I knitted a prayer shawl for my husband's mother when she had a bad spell a year and a half ago. I looked up info on the internet about prayer shawls and included the info in the card that I gave her with the shawl. She is in a wheel chair and I thought she could use it easier that putting on a sweater and it would keep her warm. She is now in an assisted living complex. I have never seen her wear it, but it is there if she needs it and it was easy to make using Lion Brand Homespun yarn. I think the prayer shawl ministry is great.


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## belinda (Mar 30, 2011)

I just came from a meeting with 35 people, 22 of which were women, and six were wearing shawls one way or another. We were all ages, too.


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## Althea (Apr 7, 2011)

Liz Maxwell put it so eloquently: you don't need a reason to knit a lacy shawl - it's like climbing Mt Everest - you do it because it's there, and you can! (well I know I can't climb Mt Everest!) But lace shawls are beautiful, and I enjoy a challenge. I do wear them sometimes, but it's the sense of achievement in completing a work of art. If you wouldn't wear them, you could use them as wall hangings, perhaps! Can't wait for Dee's (Stevieland's) new rectangular Elizabeth shawl. Her shawls are beautiful and the instructions are so thorough, and the results are just gorgeous. For those wanting to try but afraid of the intricacy, I suggest starting with the Ashton shawlette - the pattern is free and Dee provides excellent directions, and there's a knitalong to follow step by step if you wish. Once you make one, you'll be hooked.


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## Cary01 (Oct 29, 2012)

I am in a "prayer shawl" group at church. They are given to those grieving, sick, or whatever. I made my Mother one and she wrapped it around her shoulders in the evening at home. She loved it!


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## knitter360 (Apr 10, 2011)

I wear a shawl most of the time. At home, we keep our house temp to 65 degrees so there is a need to just cover my shoulders - outside now it is in the 40s - so I wear my shawls outside from the car to my destination and then I wear a shawl when I am sitting knitting. The only place I don't wear a shawl is in bed and in the shower. The shawl just adds comfort and the amount of warmth I need.


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## SDKATE57 (Feb 9, 2011)

I live in a small town in South Dakota, and it's usually cold in the summer inside with the AC on, and now with winter setting in, it's cold everywhere at all times. I usually wear jeans, and take my shawls with me wherever I go..they keep my shoulders warm, and I feel a little dressier than just jeans and a shirt or sweater. Be a trend setter and knit one up and then wear it. Get a nice big pin or piece of jewelry to go with it to close it up, and you'll feel even lovilier than you are.


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## PauletteB. (Feb 7, 2012)

I have knitted shawls for others and have seen them wear them I have not done one for myself.


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## conch72 (May 11, 2012)

flyssie said:


> Rosann said:
> 
> 
> > DickWorrall said:
> ...


The women's organization affiliated with the Masonic temple, typically wives of masons. There is also Demolay (for boys) and Rainbow (for girls).


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## conch72 (May 11, 2012)

Jessica-Jean said:


> I must be crazy then.
> I've been making and wearing shawls since my kids were babies; they're 37 and 39 now.
> Worsted weight yarn makes for warm and servicable (not very delicate!) shawls. I've only just finished my first lace-weight shawl, but I've already worn it many places.
> I don't wear a shawl when riding my bicycle - too dangerous. I won't wear a scarf either on the bike; just cowl-like things.
> ...


Are there any poncho patterns that you particularly like? I have been looking but haven't found one yet that appeals to me.


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## Sass (Oct 13, 2012)

I have one that I've been wearing as a winter coat on and off for about the last 17 years. Its a deep Burgundy, long, flowing, and blocks the wind and keeps me warmer than any coat I've owned in much longer than these 17 years. A shawl is so versatile, and even with a pregnancy, I didn't have to get a bigger size, breast feeding was a breeze even in winter, because a baby can really be tucked inside with you and kept warm and cozy, and so can your own body.

I have others, too, but they're smaller, lighter, paler. They're perfect for when you're just a bit cool, or even if you just want a little less visual exposure, like with a strapless or low cut top.

As some others have mentioned, worn with poise and grace, I can't think of a time or occasion where a shawl of some sort would be inappropriate, with the exception of some specific tasks probably a poor choice for brain surgery, fire fighting, operatinga lathe, etc.


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## KnitPicker (Jan 19, 2011)

I also wear ponchos anywhere anywhen. I'm 66, have been a city-dweller all my life.[/quote]

Are there any poncho patterns that you particularly like? I have been looking but haven't found one yet that appeals to me.[/quote]

Go vintage. I remember all the ponchos my kids and I had and they were the rage back in the late 60's & early 70's. There are vintage patterns on line.


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## bonbf3 (Dec 20, 2011)

rkr said:


> For centuries women wore (and may still wear) their shawls w/the ends crossed over their chests and then tied behind their backs at their waists. I have been thinking of knitting one like this; the triangular point in back would be long enough to cover the lower back w/ends long enough to wrap over the front and tie around back. This will keep your upper chest warm as well yet leave your arms completely free to work, w/o needing any clips to hold in place or to re-adjust its position.
> Very clever those oldsters!
> My sister brought back a Harris Tweed rectangular shawl from when they lived in the UK a decade or so ago, which is about 3 yards long and 4 feet wide. I keep it at the computer. Wrapped around my shoulders it covers everything while I'm seated and then down my lap and over my legs - mmmm... Wonderfully warm!!
> 
> ...


Very interesting - thanks for sharing this info!


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## Kiwi_knitter (Jul 1, 2011)

Not worn in New Zealand either..maybe things have changed,we would have thought to wear a Shawl was a little old fashioned..since living in USA,I think they are quite nice to wear for watching TV..I do like the Cowel scarves though,and the longer ones are super,and yes I am sure we would wear those in NZ, we have always just worn a Shawl for a special night out,what we call a Ball lol


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## Kiwi_knitter (Jul 1, 2011)

We call a Shawl in New Zealand, what we wrap a baby up in..is just different uses of words


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## M30Knitting (Aug 9, 2012)

I wear my shawls all the time....just like I'd wear a sweater. People always have the nicest things to say.


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## gclemens (Feb 18, 2012)

KnitPicker said:


> I also wear ponchos anywhere anywhen. I'm 66, have been a city-dweller all my life.


Are there any poncho patterns that you particularly like? I have been looking but haven't found one yet that appeals to me.[/quote]

Go vintage. I remember all the ponchos my kids and I had and they were the rage back in the late 60's & early 70's. There are vintage patterns on line.[/quote]

I love the Victorian Poncho free at Elann.com. I'm making it for myself after Christmas.


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## coneyislander (Sep 12, 2012)

I always wear shawls. I keep one in the car ALL the time in case I go to a restaurant. Here in the USA the restaurants are cold in both summer (AC) and winter (Too cheap to heat properly and drafty). not to mention one never knows when the weather will turn chilly. 
in the winter I also wear shawls under my coats, it adds warmth without bulk.
They are also great accessories they add an element of style to many outfits.
Ive been using them since my mid 30s, even before I started knitting them. it all started with very big kerchiefs in the mid 80s.
I can go on and on how many uses they have. I have gifted many and worn many. all are appreciated.
TRY ONE, you will LOVE IT
Laurie/ConeyIslander


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## flyssie (Jun 30, 2011)

I made a triangle shawl and a cape I wear them to Eastern Star[/quote]

What is Eastern Star? excuse my ignorance[/quote]

The women's organization affiliated with the Masonic temple, typically wives of masons. There is also Demolay (for boys) and Rainbow (for girls).[/quote]

thanks conch72 - I never would have guessed.


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## Judy M (Feb 17, 2011)

I have seen them draped around a ladies hip to add something special to her long skirt.


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## bettyirene (Apr 5, 2012)

Oldhenwife said:


> bettyirene said:
> 
> 
> > Let's start a new "fashion trend", with all KP(ers) wearing shawls in all countries...they are beautiful
> ...


Believe me, they will need them in the Winter time, if they are living in Richmond!!


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## lois wadewitz (Oct 24, 2012)

I have been making shawls and also wondered who wears them. Same with the new ruffeled scarf 
that I see at every craft show I have been to. Lots of them. I made a few out of glee which I gave to people who stopped by. Colorful but didnt get much to knit or crochet for the price of the yarn.. Only took and hour or less


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## meran (May 29, 2011)

I have several pashminas that I wear on cool evenings when I go out. I love the look of shawls/wraps and I am quite sure they could become popular here, they just need to be showcased in the main stores prior to Autumn.


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## Lynda M Otvos (Aug 30, 2012)

I have over a dozen of them and wear them regularly in the chilly weather here in the SF Bay Area. They are lovely, warm and squinch up really small to stuff into my purse if not needed. I have watched many videos on how to wrap them around my neck and shoulders and having lived for thirty years in the tropics before coming here twelve years ago-I wish I had had them in the wilds of south Florida for when the store or restaurant or museum got too cold for me, I felt really dumb carrying a jacket in August when the combined temo and humidity was somewhere near 200. And yet i hate being cold or catching a chill. I love my shawls, especially the Pashmina cashmere ones. The rayon ones are pretty and the pashmina warm, Yummy-both.


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## vannavanna (Oct 15, 2012)

evesch said:


> To Church, walking, out to eat. Anywhere "I" please as I do not follow what is "fashion". Someone else can follow me or I do not "need" them to confirm who and what I am. And believe me I am niether slim, pretty or popular or wealthy so I really have no need to impress anyone but myself. If I was any or all of those I hope I would still not feel a need to follow someone's else's lead. If I wear it, it's because I want to.


Well said!


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## vannavanna (Oct 15, 2012)

phamaluk said:


> We live in north western Canada and I knit and wear shawls all the time. In the evening at home, sitting watching tv or knitting, I often wear one. When we go out for an evening even in the summer I wear one. When we travel, for example to Mexico, China etc. I wear one in the evening as the ocean breezes are cool compared with the day. I wear them in place of a sweater. Hope this helps!


Lucky you going to China. I would love to go there.


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## Lynda M Otvos (Aug 30, 2012)

I also wrap them around my waist over leggings and feel warmer and less skin-tight-ish when I go out to the mailbox or to the corner store real quick. My neighbors think I am the eccentric but who can waste time worrying about their opinions. Another poster here said something along those same lines and it rang so true with me, Wear what makes one comfy and let the others wear what they will.


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## whataknitwit (May 1, 2011)

You've convinced me. My first shawl in on the needles.


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## Oldhenwife (Nov 4, 2012)

BarbaraSD said:


> Don't be sorry, easy mistake especially as a lot of British people refer to her as Princess Kate. No doubt you would have heard this on TV.
> 
> With all the various royal titles, learning the history of the UK must be very difficult.


We haven't a tv and everyone I know - who has mentioned her by title - has called her Duchess of Cambridge.

The history of England is one of my passions.


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## Oldhenwife (Nov 4, 2012)

BarbaraSD said:


> Don't be sorry, easy mistake especially as a lot of British people refer to her as Princess Kate. No doubt you would have heard this on TV.
> 
> With all the various royal titles, learning the history of the UK must be very difficult.


We haven't a tv and everyone I know - who has mentioned her by title - has called her Duchess of Cambridge.

The history of England is one of my passions.


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## Oldhenwife (Nov 4, 2012)

MarilynKnits said:


> Does he nalbind? That is a Norse art using Icelandic, Lopi, or Brown Sheep single strand in different ways.
> 
> Pshaw!


Does he also make chain mail? A friend's husband is into Norse re-enacting and he makes his own.[/quote][/quote]

He can do nahlbindning - you can use any raw wool but it's usually spun and plied otherwise it isn't long enough even for that process and he makes the bodkins from bone. He doesn't make mail, we have no interest at all in arms or armour - except for the metallurgy.


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## Oldhenwife (Nov 4, 2012)

bettyirene said:


> Believe me, they will need them in the Winter time, if they are living in Richmond!!


OH! They went for the sun


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## Oldhenwife (Nov 4, 2012)

lois wadewitz said:


> I have been making shawls and also wondered who wears them. Same with the new ruffeled scarf
> that I see at every craft show I have been to.


I've made ruffled scarves for older grandchildren, they say they're much warmer than straight edged ones when they're riding bikes.


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## Dohuga (Nov 26, 2011)

I have knitted several shawls in my life. Most are on the backs of my chairs for guests (and myself) in my cool to chilly house. I have given several as gifts (although I have never seen them worn), sold a few (too cheaply) and kept many for myself. I have actually worn one outside the house very few times, but the most recent was to a wedding. I had a black dress with small blue flowers and wore a blue shawl as the perfect accessory for a chilly Fall day. I see people about town wearing them all the time here in Maine. I would but I'm in jeans and sweatshirts most days and the lovely shawls aren't needed. I am thinking of making a rugged poncho, though.


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## vannavanna (Oct 15, 2012)

Dohuga said:


> I have knitted several shawls in my life. Most are on the backs of my chairs for guests (and myself) in my cool to chilly house. I have given several as gifts (although I have never seen them worn), sold a few (too cheaply) and kept many for myself. I have actually worn one outside the house very few times, but the most recent was to a wedding. I had a black dress with small blue flowers and wore a blue shawl as the perfect accessory for a chilly Fall day. I see people about town wearing them all the time here in Maine. I would but I'm in jeans and sweatshirts most days and the lovely shawls aren't needed. I am thinking of making a rugged poncho, though.


That you will wear! :-D


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## purpleone (Oct 1, 2012)

dickworrall... i have never worn but now i may, if you would not mind do you still have the instructions so i can make one and wear it as the winter is hear now with us and i may make one for my sister for christmas if the first one i make for myself comes out ok as iv no confidence in myself so if i try and it dont work out i wont make my sister one till iv mastered it properly.

angela



DickWorrall said:


> I made my wife one. Crocheted. She wears it watching TV.
> My mother used to make them to wear in the house.
> I did make my wife one that was a pineapple pattern years ago.
> She gave it away to a friend.
> Dick


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## purpleone (Oct 1, 2012)

tennessee..gal.........

i agree with you all that shawls looks lovely on when i see people wearing them and also i think them would be lovely and warm and i think its a brill idea to give them to charity i must think about it.

do you have the instructions for them please that you would like to share with me and is it easy as im fairly new at knitting

angela



Tennessee.Gal said:


> I knit prayer shawls and donate them to a group at church. The shawls are distributed to those in the congregation who are ill or bereaved. It's a wonderful ministry.
> 
> Nothing like snuggling up in a shawl to ward off chilly temps -- I love mine and have plans to make more.


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## Miminancy (May 18, 2012)

Someone had posted that they had never felt the need to wear a prayer shawl while praying. The blessing of a prayer shawl or scarf is that someone took the time to make it for you, and into every stitch, they knit or crocheted a prayer for the recipient....wheather for returned health, for peace in their heart, for long lives ahead, for shared sorrow. When the recipient wears the prayer shawl, they feel surrounded by the love and prayers that went into the making of it. Both the creator of the shawl and the recipient get great blessings from it.


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## purpleone (Oct 1, 2012)

bennieblue.....

may i say that i think shawls are ever so elegant when you wear them and i have never worn one but now you have inspirered me to have a go now,do you by any chance have the instructions that you can share with me as im fairly new at knitting and would be glad of the help.

angela from barry wales



Bennieblue said:


> inishowen said:
> 
> 
> > They're not worn in UK either. I've wondered who wears them and when.
> ...


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## flitri (Jun 13, 2011)

Shawls, Ponchos and Capes are great for people who have difficulty in getting their arms into sleeves, because of injury, arthritis ect. I haven't seen them worn here in Sydney but I am making one for my mother and I plan on making one for myself when I finish hers.


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## T.Raj (Mar 5, 2012)

ON SHAWLS from http://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2012/06/index.html

Anne here, where the nights are getting chilly, and a woman's thoughts turn to... shawls and wraps.
Henri-francois-mulard-ca1810

I have to admit, I have an odd relationship with shawls; I love the idea of them and the look of them, and the beauty of some shawls is just breathtaking, so it's not surprising that I own quite a few shawls. However I hardly ever wear them.

I get impatient with shawls; they get in my way, they slide off me when I'm not looking, they need frequent adjustment, they dangle their ends in my coffee or champagne, or collect bits of food from other people's plates. And they never look as graceful or elegant on me as they do on other people, such as this lady above right, in an 1810 painting by Henri Francois Mulard.

Below is a lithograph plate showing a variety of ways of wearing shawls in early 19th-century France (ca. 1802-1814); redrawn from various early 19th-century sources by Durin for Albert Charles Auguste Racinet's Le Costume Historique (1888). Isn't it just gorgeous? I blame this for my shawl addiction. I have the book it's from. Racinet-regency-empire-shawls-1888
So I keep buying shawls and drooling over pictures and displays of them because they're so beautiful. And whenever I'm tempted to buy I always wonder if whether this time, this shawl will be The One. 
Elisabethvigee-lebrun_portraitofayoungwoman

I suspect women have always worn shawls or some variety of wrap. Traditionally our garments have always been less practical than men's for warmth, and as well as that, we tend to er, fluctuate in temperature from time to time.  On the right is one of the few portraits I found that show a shawl being used for warmth. It's by Elizabeth LeBrun, a female painter. Mostly shawls in paintings are a sexy accessory, also indicating wealth and exotic color and texture.

They're also a very useful accessory for flirtation  wrapping and rewrapping subtly draws attention to what is being wrapped, or perhaps revealed. It's the only possible excuse for some of the fine gauzy wraps and veils we see in history; decoration without warmth. Or perhaps a bit of color and movement to enliven a static portrait.

In Western fashion history, the great flowering of the shawl took place in the 18th19th century. It started with the import of exquisite shawls from Kashmir. Kashmir lies between Pakistan, India and China, and the shawls made there were from the fine hair  fleece, really, of Himalayan goats. The finest, most expensive fleece was collected in spring from bushes where goats had rubbed off the soft winter hair that lay beneath their coarser outer coats. The majority of shawls, however were made from pashmina, the hair from the belly of domestic goats  though these days 'pashmina' has become a generic term for a shawl. 
Josephine

The word 'shawl' comes from the Persian 'shal', meaning a 'type of woven fabric'. Kashmir shawls were originally made for oriental noblemen, and the first shawls imported to Europe were also used by men, but it wasn't long before women took control of these beautiful, warm and decorative items and men didn't really get a look-in again.

The first Kashmir (or cashmere) shawls were wildly expensive as this portrait of the Empress Josephine indicates the carelessly draped shawl symbolizes her possession of exotic and expensive riches of the orient.

The art of the time is testament to the popularity of the shawl as an item of high fashion, wealth and style. 
RL24-1

Of course, Europeans immediately tried to imitate these gorgeous shawls, and the French, English and Scottish weavers competed fiercely to produce similar items quicker and more cheaply from wool, cotton or silk  they couldn't produce anything as light and fine and rich as the Kashmiris made. The most expensive Kashmir shawls were so light and fine that a whole shawl (more than five feet square) could be pulled through a wedding ring.

Shawls were hugely fashionable, the finer and more expensive the better.
Catherine Willmott, a young Irishwoman visiting Naples in 1802, wrote to her brother, "As to dress, 'tis pretty much like the French, every lady with a great shoulder sheet of a shawl, looking like Mobbled Queens in the morning, and then in the evenings, exalted, through the Milliner's Apotheosis into Dianas, Junos, ***** and all the Classic figures of the heavenly spheres. Guess where the Milliners and hairdressers go to study fashions; into the Churches among the Statues and Paintings which adorn the Tombs!"
(Note: the last part, about the hairdressers actually has nothing to do with shawls, as you can see, but I included it because it's so entertaining. Hope you enjoyed it.)

Shawldesign
Back in the UK, Norwich (pronounced Norritch) shawls of wool and silk were popular, but after the introduction of the French Jacquard loom, manufacturers in Paisley (Scotland) already well known for fine silks and muslins came to dominate the field. They copied the latest Kashmir shawls as soon as they arrived in port, sending their agents to London to examine each new shipment. In 1812, eight days after a shipment of Kashmir shawls arrived in London, Paisley imitations were being sold for £12. The original Kashmir shawl would have cost around £70-100. At this time, the annual wage for a maidservant was around £10, which gives you an idea of the expense even a locally made Paisley shawl was not cheap.

PaisleySo successful were the weavers of Paisley at "borrowing" and transforming various elements of eastern designs that the name of their town eventually became synonymous with the pattern they wove. Even today we all know what "paisley" means, and it isn't a town.

VicShawl

But as is the way with most things, once the shawls became mass produced and cheap to purchase, they were no longer such desirable fashion items, and fell out of favor. These days they're back, though in different incarnations. Me, I'd love one of those big gorgeous Kashmiri shawls from the Regency era.

And as this blog draws to a close, let me share another of the gems of Catherine Willmott's letters; in Florence she discussed the role of the cicisbeo: "In numerous instances these cicisbeos may be call'd lovers, in many others, Guardians, and in others I have remark'd mere servants, to run about on messages, carry the lady's shawl on his arm and to conduct her from one house to another."


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## PauletteB. (Feb 7, 2012)

I do make and wear ponchos. I have a 44 year old DD who will not only wear all the ponchos I make for her she also wears the ones I have made for her daughters.


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## silvercharms (Mar 29, 2011)

Thank you T Raj for a very interesting post and link - much appreciated!


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## Lynda from Watford (Nov 15, 2011)

inishowen said:


> They're not worn in UK either. I've wondered who wears them and when.


They certainly are wearing them in the UK!!!! I knit them and wear them and most of the women I know wear them in the evening especially when it's a smart or posh occasion. I have different weights for different occasions from a light pashmina to a thick woolly one for Winter. In fact I shall be wearing a thick wooly one to a posh family wedding on Sunday and will probably take a lightweight one to put round my shoulder if it should be cool in the room. I'm 64 and my daughter who's 33 wears them too and several of her friends have asked me to knit shawls for them so it's not a generation thing. So much nicer than cardigans and coats for the evening.


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## mirl56 (Dec 20, 2011)

http://www.knitpicks.com/tutorials/Wearing_Lace_Shawls__D114.html
Here's a good video w/ideas how to wear shawls.

Most of mine are a bit smaller then the ones featured in this video, more like shawlettes. But I wear them daily in these methods.

I don't have a full circle shawl yet, but hope to make one soon.


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## T.Raj (Mar 5, 2012)

silvercharms said:


> Thank you T Raj for a very interesting post and link - much appreciated!


You're quite welcome silvercharms, I'm glad you have enjoyed it. Happy Day!  T.Raj


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## Oldhenwife (Nov 4, 2012)

Lynda from Watford said:


> inishowen said:
> 
> 
> > They're not worn in UK either. I've wondered who wears them and when.
> ...


I don't know anyone who's worn ponchos for years! So very 70s and 80s - mind you, the fashion might spread to the north. If it does, I certainly shan't be among the number.

I do, however, wear a huge wrist-to-wrist knitted, er, thing, adapted from a smaller one by Kaffe Fasset. I knitted it many years ago, made my own multi coloured designs in stripes and stars and the younger grandchildren love it. It's the bright colours I think.


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## Babsmim (Mar 7, 2011)

I wear pashmina's like they are scarf's....all the time. I made a shawl for myself years ago, and whenever we are down the Cape, who ever is the fastest get's to wear it on cool nights in front of the fireplace [outside], everyone else is wrapped in a blanket. I should make a few more, so there would be no more scrambling for the shawl!
I find that the older I get, the more I want my neck and back to be warm.


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## patmiel (Aug 24, 2012)

Shawls, shawlettes and wraps -- they're all popular here in New York. I would say they are really worn by all age groups for warmth and fashion statements.


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## rosespun (May 27, 2012)

I love making and wearing shawls!! Especially at the grocery stores. LOL


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## rosespun (May 27, 2012)

Heya rose haft, I too live in Lorena!!


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## Aunt Nay (Nov 25, 2011)

Thanks for an interesting video. I've done most of those things with shawls, but really like the pinned on one shoulder look.



mirl56 said:


> http://www.knitpicks.com/tutorials/Wearing_Lace_Shawls__D114.html
> Here's a good video w/ideas how to wear shawls.
> 
> <SNIP>


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## Marilyn K. (Jul 8, 2011)

cakes said:


> I have been here for a few weeks and i am amazed atthe number of people who knit, in many cases, complicated shawls....where do you wear them?
> 
> I have asked the ladies I go places with....18 of them.......have you every owned a shawl...do you ever wear a shawl????? the reply was NO.Never.
> 
> ...


Here in California the weather is often balmy and a shawl is all one needs any time of year. They are especially nice in spring and Autumn because when the evenings cool off a shawl is all one needs to grab most times to take a chill off. Shawls are easy to tote. Lots of reasons for a shawl.


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## Marilyn K. (Jul 8, 2011)

Miminancy said:


> Someone had posted that they had never felt the need to wear a prayer shawl while praying. The blessing of a prayer shawl or scarf is that someone took the time to make it for you, and into every stitch, they knit or crocheted a prayer for the recipient....wheather for returned health, for peace in their heart, for long lives ahead, for shared sorrow. When the recipient wears the prayer shawl, they feel surrounded by the love and prayers that went into the making of it. Both the creator of the shawl and the recipient get great blessings from it.


You, you're wrapped in love!


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## mousepotato (May 30, 2011)

mirl56 said:


> http://www.knitpicks.com/tutorials/Wearing_Lace_Shawls__D114.html
> Here's a good video w/ideas how to wear shawls.
> 
> Most of mine are a bit smaller then the ones featured in this video, more like shawlettes. But I wear them daily in these methods.
> ...


Mirl,

Take a look at Jonathan Flood's Girasol pattern for a full circle shawl, http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/2008/12/girasole.html. The pattern isn't free, but it is a good knit, even for someone not well experienced in lace knitting. I found it to be very architectural to knit and it did work up relatively quickly. It's based on the Pi shawl formula of Elizabeth Zimmerman.


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## tryalot (Apr 29, 2012)

Yes, American ladies are very fond of making shawls and dishcloths, not so many of us down here seem so keen.

The dishcloth patterns are brilliant even if you don't want a dishcloth. They provide good stitch practice and also provide inspiration for other items


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## Knitangel (Oct 8, 2012)

I make shawlettes...............

I wear them over my shoulders at home, out and about to the office, supermarket, visiting friends, going to town, coffee shops etc usually in autumn before jumpers are necessary.

Mostly in the cooler weather I wear trousers or leggings and long tops, mainly black or dark colours. I make brightly coloured shawlettes to wear on top. In winter the shawlette becomes my scarf. I wear the wide section in front and pass the two ends round my neck and tie loosely in front underneath. Its warm, colourful and cosy. When I make a shawlette, always, nearly always has matching fingerless mittens to match.

You'll never catch me out at night with a shawl, that is what my grandmother wore. I wear a coat and shawlette.

Here is a You Tube video you may find interesting.


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## mousepotato (May 30, 2011)

tryalot said:


> Yes, American ladies are very fond of making shawls and dishcloths, not so many of us down here seem so keen.
> 
> The dishcloth patterns are brilliant even if you don't want a dishcloth. They provide good stitch practice and also provide inspiration for other items


They actually make good afghan squares, too.......


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## Knitangel (Oct 8, 2012)

I don't use the dishcloths as dishcloths, I make them from cotton and use them as potholders.

My dishes are washed in a dishwasher, the cloths and sponges I use in the kitchen are disposable and go into the bin.


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## flyssie (Jun 30, 2011)

T.Raj said:


> ON SHAWLS from http://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2012/06/index.html
> Anne here, where the nights are getting chilly, and a woman's thoughts turn to... shawls and wraps.
> Henri-francois-mulard-ca1810
> 
> ...


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## flyssie (Jun 30, 2011)

Oldhenwife said:


> bettyirene said:
> 
> 
> > Believe me, they will need them in the Winter time, if they are living in Richmond!!
> ...


Dont worry Oldhenwife - they will have plenty of sun in the next few months !
Beautiful part of our country - Hawkesbury river region.
Cheers - Flyssie


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## soneka (Feb 8, 2011)

I knitted a lace shawl last year. Not intricate like the beautiful shawls shown here, but my first stab at a lace pattern using #4 weight yarn. Frogged a few times, but I finally "got it", and I love it, but have worn it twice to church and it stays folded on a closet shelf. Just don't dress up like I used to! Does anyone, except for a wedding or something?


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## garlicginger (Aug 25, 2012)

The dishcloth patterns are brilliant even if you don't want a dishcloth. They provide good stitch practice and also provide inspiration for other items[/quote]

Dishcloth patterns work very nicely as components of an afghan. Just make a bunch of them and put them together!!


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## T.Raj (Mar 5, 2012)

flyssie said:


> T.Raj said:
> 
> 
> > ON SHAWLS from http://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2012/06/index.html
> ...


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## BL44 (Jan 25, 2011)

I wear them a lot. Baseball games, in the car, movies (not that we go much), in the house, sometimes to bed. Also have some I wear when I dress up.


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## flyssie (Jun 30, 2011)

Love it T Raj - will have to remember that tip and pass it on
Cheers


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## Evie RM (Sep 19, 2012)

There is also Jobs Daughters for girls 12 to 18. I was a Jobie when I was a girl. A terrific organization.


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## Marilyn K. (Jul 8, 2011)

t. Raj,
What an absolutely delightful site! ON SHAWLS from http://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2012/06/index.html

Thank you for sharing!!!
marilyn


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## wendyz1 (Oct 5, 2012)

Like 'cakes' I too have been amazed by all the lovely & complicated shawls that american knitters make, we certainly don't wear them here in NZ, & like a lot of others have one or two pashminas hidden away in a drawer & never worn !!!! Glad you asked 'cakes' . Gill


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## Rosann (Sep 27, 2012)

Does anyone have a shawl pin? If so can you post a picture of one. The wind really blows here out West in Oregon. Thank you


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## T.Raj (Mar 5, 2012)

flyssie said:


> Love it T Raj - will have to remember that tip and pass it on
> Cheers


 flyssie, it may become handy one day, have a fun day!
T.Raj


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## T.Raj (Mar 5, 2012)

Marilyn K. said:


> t. Raj,
> What an absolutely delightful site! ON SHAWLS from http://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2012/06/index.html
> 
> Thank you for sharing!!!
> marilyn


I'm glad you enjoyed it Marilyn. It has such interesting articles, and it is so delightful to read through them when sipping tea. Cheers! T.Raj


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## Knitry (Dec 18, 2011)

Fascinating thread with some great ideas.

But, alas, I'm afraid I'm just not a shawl wearer. I knitted one this year, mainly because the sit 'n' knit at my LYS wanted you to be using their yarn while you were there, but I doubt I'll ever wear it, or perhaps very occasionally.

For one thing I don't go places other people have mentioned wearing them -- except shopping, for which for me a shawl would be a really bad idea. At home I do use one when I meditate, but I need to replace it -- it's not wide enough (it's rectangular) so I'm fighting it when I try to put it on because it doesn't cover me adequately, and I'm always poking my fingers through it. And I've tired of the color and design. 

The other issue for me is that usually when I'm chilly I want coverage all over my upper torso -- front to the neck, back from neck to waist or lower, arms from shoulders to wrists. You can certainly use a shawl for that much coverage, but they're really not built for that while cardigans are.


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## PaKnitter (Mar 7, 2011)

Rosann said:


> Does anyone have a shawl pin? If so can you post a picture of one. The wind really blows here out West in Oregon. Thank you


I bought two different ones for gifts on Esty.


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## Oldhenwife (Nov 4, 2012)

flyssie said:


> OH! They went for the sun


Dont worry Oldhenwife - they will have plenty of sun in the next few months !
Beautiful part of our country - Hawkesbury river region.
Cheers - Flyssie[/quote]

Well if it's warm in your summer they'll be crowing but if it gets cold after that - hahaha!


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## Oldhenwife (Nov 4, 2012)

soneka said:


> Just don't dress up like I used to! Does anyone, except for a wedding or something?


Yes, every Sunday evening we dress formally.

What's the point in having beautiful clothes if they're never worn?

And it's fun - even at 73!!!


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## Judy M (Feb 17, 2011)

Rosann said:


> Does anyone have a shawl pin? If so can you post a picture of one. The wind really blows here out West in Oregon. Thank you


http://www.anniescatalog.com/list.html?criteria=shawl+pin&go.x=0&go.y=0

Basically it's just a circle or square piece with a hole in the middle and you weave a piece of the shawl through it with a long "stick" or other decorative item.

Wonder if you could use a belt buckle (maybe wrapped with same yarn as shawl) without the tongue and something like a chopstick or double pointed needle.

What other ideas have any of you readers come up with?


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## Maxine R (Apr 15, 2011)

This question sure made an impact but as I mentioned before here in NZ shawls aren't worn the same as else where and judging by the replies from our buddies across the shore they don't seem to wear them as much either. Guess the south is slightly different to the north. For some reason I associate shawls for the older generation not that Im quite there as yet but not too far away.


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## msdotsy1 (Oct 17, 2012)

nonichinski said:


> Forgive me for writing again but I just wanted to say that when I wear my morning and evening shawls I remember the dear ones who gave them both to me. Giving a shawl to someone who wears it is like a continuous blessing and those of you who I see make prayer shawls will receive a benediction every day as you are remembered.


Absolutely on point and I agree with every word. Now where the heck is my shawl???? My sister-in-law gave it to me after she realized that I am very serious about my faith. Now I have 3 daughters who admired it after I sewed one end to the other side and made it into a poncho. So soft and warm, and nobody knows where it is!

:evil:

I use my shawls just for that extra bit of coverage if the house should get chilly in the mornings. Now I have to put on a whole robe :evil:

I plan to make a few more but I am overwhelmed now making stuff for other people.

Any wayz I have two drawers of scarves and shawls (but none like that one)..ranging from sequined to furry and for all occasions. From walking the dog to an evening affair. I have them in all fibers from cotton to silk. I have ones for all seasons of the year. I can't imagine a woman who doesn't have at least a few scarves/shawls. They are a staple of our culture. Period.

Young women, old women, middle aged women and men use scarves and shawls.

Fat and skinny who cares. It is the very practical nature of these very indispensable pieces of fabric that causes them to rise above scrutiny on any level.

And yes as we grow older and wiser we couldn't give a flying fart what anyone thinks about what we wear or how we look.

With that said I am going to hunt down my poncho. Good night.


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## freesia792 (Feb 24, 2012)

I LOVE shawls. I have some I wear when I'm out and about (some for dressy, and some for not so dressy), and I have some I use at home when I'm knitting/crocheting or watching television. They're not as heavy as an afghan, and I can keep it on when I walk about the house. One of the reasons I started to wear them??? BECAUSE...most people don't.  Now I use them because I find them practical. In early spring when it's still very cool in the evenings, but warm during the day, I just tie it around my waist when I'm out and about. I wore one I made to a fireworks display once, and bought one (a lady made some really pretty ones). During fireworks, a young lady (15) was very cold. I lent her one of mine. She was much more comfortable, and looked elegant. Her mom said she was going to look for shawls for them.


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## sunnybutterfly (May 15, 2011)

larlie said:


> I am from Melbourne. I agree that shawls are quite rare here. However, I have several, one of which is commercially made, black and covered in lots of acqua coloured beady thingos and looks stunning when I want to co-ordinate a skirt and top. Makes outfit look really dressy and I don't care that no-one else will have one like mine - pleased, if anything.
> 
> I also have shawls I have knitted myself and wear them at home, in bed, and when I go out with someone special who just likes me for me. I then feel happy in their drapey warmth and comfort. I think at my age I shall judge for myself how I look and feel in my shawls and don't worry about what others say. I have small black ones which are feathery (handknitted by me) which are discrete and glamorous. Well, I think so, and who else really matters? I tend to want them to blend in with my outfit or complement it rather than to make a dramatic statement, anyway. But, having said all this, I don't wear a shawl outside that often. Always have one draped over my chair at home during chilly weather for quick retrieval.


Hi Larlie, I'm from Melbourne too and have knitted several lace shawls. I have loved knitting them and I love wearing them especially with jackets as triangular scarves (shawl kind of back to front), over a jumper and jeans, kind of sideways with one end at front and other at back. Traditionally around shoulders with a shawl pin. Limitless ways to wear and yes when sitting around during the cold months its lovely to have a shawl draped over my shoulders. And they make really pretty triangular throw rugs too.


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## Babsmim (Mar 7, 2011)

msdotsy1 said:


> nonichinski said:
> 
> 
> > Forgive me for writing again but I just wanted to say that when I wear my morning and evening shawls I remember the dear ones who gave them both to me. Giving a shawl to someone who wears it is like a continuous blessing and those of you who I see make prayer shawls will receive a benediction every day as you are remembered.
> ...


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## RoxyCatlady (Mar 22, 2011)

cakes said:


> I have been here for a few weeks and i am amazed atthe number of people who knit, in many cases, complicated shawls....where do you wear them?
> 
> I have asked the ladies I go places with....18 of them.......have you every owned a shawl...do you ever wear a shawl????? the reply was NO.Never.
> 
> ...


I've worn mine out to fancy suppers (in Mexico, where even though it is warm, the evenings can still be cool), in air conditioned locations, cool summer evenings, around the house to keep drafts off my shoulders....

I use my shawls - even the fanciest ones - whenever and wherever I want.


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## Green Frog (Apr 27, 2011)

I love those shawls that so many people have knitted and shared with us here at KP. I apparently "walk to the beat of a different drummer" so as to speak, because I often wear items of clothing that I like; not what fashion dictates; and I am quite often surprised that I find I have started a new trend in amongst my associates. Have been flat out with family "stuff" but I do indend to make myself one in the near future and I will wear it - because I want to wear it! And I will enjoy wearing it too.


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## mommamarcia (Feb 14, 2011)

I knit prayer shawls with our prayer shawl ministry at church. We have given over 1500 shawls to people this year in need of prayers. We say the rosary when we start knitting and then our priest blesses them. We also enclose a prayer card for them. Everyone is in need of prayers. We hear many thanks and wonderful stories about feeling the love in each one.


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## Knitangel (Oct 8, 2012)

Rosann said:


> Does anyone have a shawl pin? If so can you post a picture of one.


I use Scottish brooches or a kilt pin to fasten my shawlettes. I don't like the idea of a shawl pin, they look dangerous. 

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=scottish+brooch&hl=en&client=safari&tbo=u&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ei=88iuUKvkJKe50QWquYCYAQ&ved=0CDUQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=672


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## Sperson (Jul 28, 2011)

I love shawls and have knit many with different patterns. My favorite on is round and was found in a knitting magazine. Everyone loves it and asks where I got the pattern. I like is much better that longer ones as it stays put on my shoulders. More like a poncho.


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## nitchik (May 30, 2011)

I knit a lovely cream shawl in '98 for my son's California February wedding. As mother of the groom, I had too look nice, not wrapped in a coat, and anyway, a coat would be too heavy, and yet it was too cold to be without anything.
It was the same color as my dress (bride asked both mothers to wear white/cream) and everyone said it looked just lovely.
Haven't worn it since, but I'm starting to think I need to get it out and wear it again.


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## flyssie (Jun 30, 2011)

nitchik said:


> Just love your chooks - do you have a pattern or know where i can get it please ?


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## lilydragon (Oct 2, 2011)

I have one at work I wear when I get cold there. I've been thinking about trying to make one of Dee's shawls in a heavier weight yarn for those chilly nights.


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## nitchik (May 30, 2011)

flyssie said:


> nitchik said:
> 
> 
> > Just love your chooks - do you have a pattern or know where i can get it please ?
> ...


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## AnastasiaV48 (Nov 5, 2019)

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