The mist of morning; the cloud passing over a summer sky. Sometimes you just need the lightest and most frivolous of wraps on hand to cover bare necks and shoulders. This delicate mohair and silk shawlette or scarf is simple to make, fully reversible, easy to resize and features a range of delicate mesh fabrics that are absolutely à la mode this summer.
Size
As written the pattern produces a small shawlette approx. 42 in/107cm along the top edge and 81 in/206cm along the bottom edge with a drop of 13.5 in/35cm. See below for information on adjusting for size.
Yarn
One 25g skein of Debbie Bliss Angel (24% silk, 76% mohair) laceweight yarn in Periwinkle – or other similar yarn. The sample shawl used just shy of one skein or 219 yds/200m
Needles
5 mm (US 8) circular needle or correct needle sizes to achieve gauge. You can use long flat needles if you prefer
Notions
tapestry needle; stitch markers
Gauge
18 sts to 4 in/10cm over firmly blocked garter stitch. Gauge is not critical for the fit of the item, although if you want the shawl to fit into one skein you will need to take some account of this.
Abbreviations
Sl1– Slip one stitch as if to purl, with the yarn at the back of the work
Chart for Part Of Section 2
Pattern Notes
This pattern is worked flat from the center top down.
Resizing the shawl
This shawl has been designed to fit into one skein of the suggested yarn, producing a small shawlette or scarf. However, if you would like to enlarge the shawl, this is easily done by understanding the increase recipe. This shawl is worked on the principle of a half-pi shawl; that is the stitch count is doubled roughly as the row count doubles. If you want to continue in pattern, your next increase row should fall on or near row 108 (the next increase row after that would be row 216). All of the stitch patterns in the shawl will work on the increased stitch counts if you choose to repeat them. Bear in mind that you may wish to repeat the pattern in rows 52-65 followed by the pattern in section 3 at the end of your shawl if you want the same border.
Instructions
Cast on
Cast on using the garter tab method {see our garter tab tutorial}:
- Cast on 3 sts.
- Work 6 rows in garter stitch
- Turn work 90° clockwise, pick up and knit 3 sts along the edge (one in each purl of the garter stitch), and then pick up and knit 3 sts from the cast on edge.
- You should now have 9 sts and a small wedge-shaped piece of knitting.
- Sl1, k2, place marker (if desired), k3, place marker, k3.
An online tutorial for this method can be found here but be sure to use the cast on and pick-up numbers as given above
Section 1
Stitch counts are given in parenthesis – the plus 6 is for your three edge sts on either side.
Row 1: 2 Sl1, k2, repeat (yo, k1) to last 3 sts, k3. (6+6)
Row 2: Sl1, knit to end
Row 3: Sl1, k2, repeat (yo, k1) to last 3 sts, k3 (12+6)
Rows 4, 5 & 6: Sl1 knit to end
Row 7: Sl1, k2, repeat (yo, k1) to last 3 sts, k3 (24+6)
Rows 8-14: Sl1 knit to end
Row 15: Sl1, k2, repeat (yo, k1) to last 3 sts, k3 (48+6)
Row 16: Sl1 knit to end
Row 17: Sl1, k2, repeat (yo, k2tog) to last 3 sts, k3
Row 18: Sl1 knit to end
Row 19: Sl1, k2, repeat (k2tog, yo) to last 3 sts, k3
Rows 20-30: Sl1 knit to end
Row 31: Sl1, k2, repeat (yo, k1) to last 3 sts, k3 (96+6)
Row 32: Sl1 knit to end
Section 2
Rows 33-40 repeat the following 4 rows 2 times (8 rows in total) – or use chart above.
Row 1: Sl1, k2, repeat (k2tog, yo twice, k2tog) to last 3 sts, k3.
Row 2: Sl1, k3, repeat ([p1, k1] in double yarnover from previous row, k2) to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 3: Sl1, k4, repeat (k2tog, yo twice, k2tog) to last 5 sts, k5.
Row 4: Sl1, k5, repeat ([p1, k1] in double yarnover from previous row, k2) to last 4 sts, k4.
Rows 41-50 (10 rows): Sl1, knit
Rows 51-60 repeat the 2 following rows 5 times (10 rows in total)
Row 1: Sl1, k2, repeat (yo, k1) to last 3 sts, k3
Row 2: Sl1, knit across dropping the yarn overs as you go
Row 61: Sl1, knit to end
Row 62: Sl1, k2, repeat (yo, k1) to last 3 sts, k3 (192+6)
Row 63: Sl1, knit to end
Section 3
Row 64-69 repeat these two rows 3 times (6 rows in total)
Row 1: Sl1, k2, repeat (yo twice, k1) to last 3 sts k3
Row 2: Sl1, knit across dropping the yarn overs as you go
Bind off
This bind off, known as the elastic bind off, creates a very stretchy edge to assist blocking. You can go up one or a few needle sizes to create an even more stretchy edge. Be sure to work loosely.
- Knit two sts
- Slip the sts on your right hand needle back to the left needle and knit them through the back loop
- Knit one more st
Repeat steps 2 & 3 until only 1 st remains. Break your yarn and pull through the last stitch.
Finishing
Finishing instructions
Finishing
Weave in ends and block as follows:
- Gently swish the shawl in warm water and baby shampoo in a sink or bath.
- Drain the water and then gently press (do not wring) to squeeze out excess water.
- Lift the shawl onto a towel
- Spread the shawl out flat and then roll up the towel with the shawl inside
- Jump up and down on the towel to press out as much moisture as possible
- Spread out flat on a dry towel on a bed or carpet, yoga mat or any other surface you can stick pins into (special blocking mats are commercially available).
- Pin down in a half circle or crescent shape, as desired, gradually adjusting the pins to pull the shawl out to its full extent. It should be tensioned quite firmly. To achieve the pointed edge simply pull the bottom edge into points.
- Leave until completely dry before taking up.
About the Designer: Elizabeth Felgate
I’m an independent self-publishing designer, living in a stone cottage in deepest, darkest Wiltshire with eight walnut trees in the garden.
I like designing from first principles. Quite a few of my patterns feature either custom-designed lace patterns or unusual construction methods that I have devised to address a specific aim (like garments that can be knit without a gauge measurement).
Hi,
I am making your lovely shawl, and working on section 2 now.
I have a small suggestion about your chart. Right now the chart makes it look like the repeat area shifts only one stitch to the left in row 3. It appears that the two stitches you are knitting together in row 3 are the P1,K1 from the row below. From the written directions I believe you are actually knitting together two knit stitches. If you work from the chart without looking at the relationships between the rows the chart does work. Moving your two gray squares to column 7 instead of column 1 would shift columns 2-7 in row 1 and 2 to the right lining up the stitches to show the correct relationship between the different rows.
One other small thing on the chart the 2V symbol in the key says it means K1,P1 in 1 stitch, but your written directions say P1, K1 in the double yarnover.
Best wishes