Yo-Yo Shawl

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MAKING A YO-YO

After you've snipped out as many circles as you need for your project (the shawl in the photos, for instance, required 381), you'll be ready to form each disk into the characteristically puffy shape that I call a yo-yo.

Thread an ordinary needle with a single strand of medium-weight white sewing cotton or polyester. Grasping the circle in one hand-with the dull (or "wrong") side of the fabric facing youuse long running stitches to baste down a 1/4" hem all around the edge. When you've completed the circumference of the circle, push the needle through to the right side of the material.

Then begin slowly drawing up the thread and forcing the fabric to gather . . . be sure its hem is turning toward the inside. A smooth, firm pull will shape the circle into a round puff with one small opening.

Next, hold the thread tightly—so the gathering stays put—and slip the needle back through a couple of folds toward the center of the yo-yo. At that point, you can take two or three knotted stitches to hold the round piece in shape. Finally, tie off the end of your thread and flatten the puff out. (You may have to adjust the finished yo-yo slightly, by tugging at its edges, to center the hole.)

Each yo-yo functions as an individual building unit. Once you've learned how to construct one, you simply repeat the process until you've accumulated enough fabric puffs to make up the garment—or bedspread—you want. After that, all you'll have to do is join the circles together in long rows . . . until the craftwork is complete.

SINGLES INTO ROWS. . .

You'll start to assemble your shawl, of course, by sewing two yo-yos together . . . as that pair will form the beginning of the first (and longest) row. Place two circles face to face (they should be of contrasting colors and designs), with their right sides together . . . and line up their center holes (which will be on the outside of the completed garment). Bind the little double disks—using tiny whip stitches—with a "hinge" : a seam of only 1/8" to 1/4" in length along the top. Knot the thread tightly and tie it off.

Once they're securely joined, you can unfold the "clamshell" halves and attach a third yo-yo to the second one. Continue the process of unfolding each new circle and adding another until the whole row is finished. As you fasten each puff to the sequence, be sure the stitching is always directly across from the previous seam . . . so that you'll end up with a neat, straight line.

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