“If I have a spade,” she whispered, “I can make the earth nice and soft and dig up weeds. If I have seeds and can make flowers grow the garden won’t be dead at all—it will come alive.”

There are many moments in The Secret Garden where Mary talks about planting seeds to make the garden come alive. She repeats it when she asks her uncle for “a bit of earth” and again when she finally tells Colin about the garden. So much of the magic running through the book seems bound up in this humble, hopeful action. Digging a hole. Planting a seed. Anyone who has ever loved a garden knows the sense of limitless possibility that comes bundled into those little packets. Planting seeds is always an act of faith, and watching them burst into life is always a reason for excitement and wonder. I know many of us feel the same way about knitting these shawls. Little stitches, slow growth, and suddenly it adds up to something astonishing. Planting a garden or starting a new creative project - it always starts with tiny things, and it’s always about coming alive.

Our fourth shawl this season, Planting Seeds, is a roomy crescent shape and knit in a heavy lace weight yarn. The mood is exuberant and joyful, with three dancing colours, stripes, and slipped stitches which bring to mind old-fashioned seed packets and the little seeds themselves. The bold graphical nature of the design gives it quite a modern twist, although the delicacy of the yarn and a pretty picot bind-off add a touch of romance and whimsy.

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Approximately 168cm (66”) diameter across straight top edge
48cm (19”) neck to bottom edge

YARN
The Fibre Co. Meadow
40% Merino wool, 25% baby llama, 20% silk, 15% linen; 498m/545yds per 100 g skein, 3 x 100g skeins,
Colourways:
A: Bedstraw (light grey)
B: Bergamot (red)
C: Prairie (gold)

Sample used 3 colours of
heavy laceweight yarn:
Colour A: 30g, 150m/164 yds
Colour B: 42g, 210m/229yds
Colour C: 62g, 309m/338yds

NEEDLES
4mm (US 6), 80/100cm (32/40”) long circular needles (or size to obtain gauge)

NOTIONS
Tapestry needle
Removable stitch marker

GAUGE
22 sts/28 rows = 10cm (4”) in garter stitch after blocking