The Ins & Outs of Yarn Substitution: The Lisoonvarna Shawl

When editor Jackie Daugherty asked me about restitching the Lisdoonvarna Shawl in a new yarn, I jumped at this idea! This is one of my favorite shawls named after a very special little town near the west coast of Ireland, and it takes me back to a very special time there with my sweet husband.

- Bonnie Barker

I was asked to make this design in a worsted-weight, changing it from the DK-weight originally used. I personally prefer to use a yarn made of primarily natural fibers, so we considered 3 possibilities from Berroco: Vintage (52% acrylic, 40% wool, 8% nylon), Modern Cotton (60% Pima cotton, 40% modal rayon), and Ultra Alpaca (50% super fine alpaca, 50% Peruvian wool). I will begin by saying that each of these yarns would have been an excellent choice, and it really came down to my personal preference for the final decision.