Demelza's Song - The Shawl

Demelza's Song by Kalurah Hudson in Malabrigo Worsted Yarn

A few months ago I noticed a lovely little shawlette that my friend Nancy had just finished. Of course, I told her how much I liked the shawl, along with her yarn choice, Zen Yarn Garden Serenity Worsted in the Roxanne-Rustic Red B colorway. This yarn has a nice loft and the colors are close in tone, not widely variegated, giving this piece a rich look. I was enchanted. Of course, I had to run home and immediately purchase the pattern. Me. I PURCHASED a pattern?  Yes, I did. Most of the time, I can look at a really good photo of the pattern and figure it out. I could have done that with this pattern. It's a simple, triangular shape with areas of stockinette stitch, garter stitch, eyelet lace and a 4-stitch cable down the center. It is nice to support the pattern writers once in awhile. You do not get rich writing knit or crochet patterns.

I wondered about the name of this shawl. Turns out, "Demelza" is a popular character in the "Poldark" series. The designer of this pattern, Kalurah Hudson said this about "Demelza" on her blog: "This design evolved after watching the BBC Mini-Series "Poldark." While there is a lack of dreamy knitwear on the show, I was inspired more by the beautiful song that Demelza sings while visiting Elizabeth and Francis at Christmas time. I chose this particular colorway (hot pink) mainly because it reminded me of Demelza's dress, in fact, many of her dresses on the show.  She does not come from great means, but the rich color of her Christmas dress, along with her bright red locks just demand attention. As does this shawl! The design is simple, yet whimsical. Bold, yet innocent. A happy marriage of pretty little details and practical application."

Here is Demelza's song:

Oh brother!  I'm having a diabetic attack right now! This song is a bit saccharine for my taste, but I do like the shawl. To me, the shawl doesn't look flowery and fussy at all, like the song. It's a straight-forward and simple textural design.

I had some lovely Sweet Georgia Worsted Weight Yarn in my stash, given to me as a birthday gift last year by my friend, Beth. The "Ginger" colorway of my yarn matched the color of Demelza's hair! Perfect! I cast on during the holidays, but was waylaid by a few other projects. I finally finished the shawl the other day. It is blocked and ready to wear!  I love it. 

Thanks for the inspiration, Nancy and Beth!