“Starry night” in Belves
Shawl by Woolly hooligan designs

Inspiration:
Our recent trip to France was an incredible journey. We travelled from Paris to Normandy, Loire valley, Alsace and Dordogne. It was in Dordogne, we discovered Belves. A quiet sleeping town on top of a hill with its medieval history. Cobble streets and colourful shutters draped in exquisite greenery. Amongst its hilly landscape hid a little gem. Filature de Belves http://filaturedebelves.com is a museum now, but once upon a time it hustled and bustled with a busy hum of wool being cleaned, carded and spun. Powered by water its quite a special place. It is there we found this amazing fiber. Although not native to the area, as it is produced in Switzerland, this Lang dipinto line is super fun. https://www.langyarns.com
Paired with the Starry nights painting displayed in the Musee de Orsay in Paris https://m.musee-orsay.fr by the famous Vincent Van Gogh it was a pair made in “France”. Thus, the name. I highly recommend visiting this part of the world, and I hope to leave you inspired.

Materials needed:

• Main colour (MC) Dipinto yarn by Lang (I used colour 975.0011) x 3 balls. It’s a wool and acrylic mix.

• Contrast colour A (CCA) Lace Mohair by Lang colour 992.0050 1 ball

• Contrast Colour B (CCB) colour 992.0033 1 ball

CCA and CCB held double. It’s a kid mohair with silk mix. Alternatively, you can use just one contrast colour.

• Needles size 4 US (3.5mm) circulars work best with at least a 32-inch cable.
• Darning needle to weave in ends
• Blocking mats, pins.

Gauge (not crucial): 20 st/24 rows in 4inch/10 cm blocked swatch in main pattern (measured with “eyes” running horizontally) or 5 st per inch in garter pattern in MC

Skills required:
Level of difficulty is Advanced to a Curious intermediate knitter
• German shorts rows
• Knitting backwards
• Picking up stitches along the edge of garter main body
• Knit/purl (garter st)
• Cast on/bind off stretchy
• Attaching border as you knit
• Grafting
• Provisional cast on

Finished Shawl Measurements

Rectangle shape:
• 33 inches/ 84 cm (width from picot to picot) x 42 inches/107 cm (length from picot to picot)