Charm City Kids: Smalltimore

Spring is prime shawl season, so if you're looking for a warm-but-light layer for a girl in your life, Smalltimore is the perfect project--it's today's spotlight project from Charm City Kids!

The original Charm City Shawlette is an easy lace half-pi shawl that's perfect for beginner shawl knitters or experienced knitters looking for a shawl that's easy to memorize, for on-the-go knitting. When I thought about reworking it for the under-10 set, transforming it into a cowlette seemed like a great way to maintain the style while making it more wearable for busy kids.

Smalltimore can be worn around the neck like a cowl, or pulled down over the shoulders for more warmth. Unlike a traditional shawl, it stays in place without a pin, so it's easy to toss on your little one for an extra layer--it won't fall off while she's swinging from the monkey bars, riding a bike or whatever other fun she gets into (though if she decides to take it off, I guess there's not much you can do about that).

When I envisioned the yarn for this piece, I immediately thought of the subtle tonal yarns that Danie of One Twisted Tree dyes. This icy blue is called Frozen Forest of Dean--you know I love a good Harry Potter shout out! 

The base is Prime, 75% merino, 25% nylon, with a generous 460yd per skein. Since I had an amazing sample knitter, who also happens to be named Kristen, knit this piece, I didn't get to work with the yarn myself, but washing and blocking the cowlette it felt soft and sturdy, and I saw no bleeding. And you can see in the photos, it has lovely drape. Fortunately there is some leftover that I can play with! 

The Smalltimore pattern includes 2 sizes--I've provided an age range for each size, but be sure to measure your little person, as kids vary greatly in size! Either size requires only 1 skein of yarn.

You can grab the Smalltimore pattern here, or purchase the whole Charm City Kids collection for $11.99.

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