Looking for a fun Autumn challenge now that evenings are drawing in?
Are you an adventurous beginner or an experienced knitter? Then look no further than Stephen West’s annual Mystery Knit Along (MKAL). I’m going to be joining the thousands of knitters across the globe to take part in this annual event that kicks off on October 5th, so why not join in too. It’s fun, it’s supportive and hey, you end up with a lovely totally unique shawl!
What is a MKAL?
MKAL stands for Mystery Knit Along. Knit ALongs (KALs) are fun, social activities in which a group of knitters all make the same project in a specified timeframe. A Mystery Knit Along adds an extra dimension, because you don’t know what you’re knitting when you start. A section of the pattern is released each week, until in the final week, when the full design is revealed.
The Annual Westknits MKAL
The Westknits MKAL has been running each October since 2011. The project is always a shawl design, and it always incorporates interesting knitting techniques that are clearly explained and shown by Stephen on the accompanying instructions and videos.
Stephen is hugely enthusiastic and inspirational and, as you can see from the photos of previous years, a hugely talented and creative designer. There is also a really supportive Ravelry group that reconvenes each year to post progress pictures and chat. Everyone is welcome and wants to help everyone else.
So, what is Stephen saying about his years event?
Welcome to the 14th Westknits Mystery Shawl Knit Along (MKAL)! We are going to have so much fun knitting an out of this world shawl design. This year’s shawl will be a geometric explosion of color using a gradient of four colors. Join me as I guide you through the mesmerizing stitches of this year’s mystery shawl with video tutorials throughout October. Get ready to blast off as we cast on Thursday, October 5!
Stephen West.
You can get more information from Stephen’s store site Stephen & Penelope
What do you need to take part?
- Watch Stephens MKAL 2023 Introduction video on YouTube
- sign up by purchasing the pattern on Stephen’s website or on Ravelry (EURO 7.00). You will get an introductory information download straight away, and then an update email as each of the clues are released. The schedule is:-
- Clue 1 – Thursday, October 5
- Clue 2 – Thursday, October 12
- Clue 3 – Thursday, October 19
- Clue 4 – Thursday, October 26
- Buy your yarn or select something from your stash that fits Stephen’s Guidelines for the project. These are detailed in the video and the introductory download. You don’t have to buy new yarn to take part, but if you want inspiration Stephen has organised some purpose made kits here. Also, check with your own local yarn store. It’s pretty likely that they will have created some kits for this big annual event too
- Make sure you have a long circular 3.5mm/US 4 needle ready for the start date.
And then wait for the first clue to arrive on October 5th …
My yarn choices
I’ve spent a lot of time trying to decide which yarn kit to go for. At the moment I’ve got it down to three: –
I think I’m going to go with the soft blues… but the pink is really tempting ….
I hope this post inspired you to challenge yourself with MKAL 2023. If it did, I would love to read your comments in the section below. Yarn choice photos or pictures of work in progress would also be great to see.
As always, thank you for reading my post. If you enjoyed it, why not sign up for my newsletter on the form below.
Leave a Reply