Original Pattern: Nakahi Shawl

Knitter Extraordinaire: Katy (Ravelry ID, website)

Mods: Adapted the triangle shaped shawl into a rectangular lace top. Details are on her project page, which is found here.

What Makes This Awesome: Katy had knit the Nakahi shawl before, and loved the lace, so she wanted to adapt it into a poncho-style top that would have side closures with buttons This is really fitting for a couple of reasons – it’s so much easier to make changes to a pattern you have already knit once before, and also Katy makes beautiful bamboo buttons, so she wanted to knit something that would speak to that side of her craft, as well! I’m so impressed with how well this turned out- knitted lace in boxier shapes with a lot of drape are perfect for summer, where they can make great layering pieces.

When making a modification, there’s often things that crop up that you didn’t anticipate. For example, Katy cast on for this about 5 different times trying to get the set up right. Also when the neckline came out bigger than she wanted, rather than ripping back she cinched it up in the finishing stage. If your necklines ever come out bigger than you would like, this is always an option, as well. There are different methods, like threading the stitches on yarn and cinching it that way, or by crocheting a chain around the neck and ensuring it is tighter than the original neckline.  Katy’s top is beachy perfect for summer, or even as a fall layering piece over a longer sleeved tee.