I designed this shawl to feature the KnitCircus lmpressionist yarn in the colorway Space is Big, Really Big.

From the KnitCircus website, a description of the colorway:

Inspired by the Hitchhiker’s Guide Trilogy by Douglass Adams, this color celebrates the vastness of space, “You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is, I mean, you may think it’s a long way down the road to the chemist, but that’s just peanuts to space.” We love the other-worldliness of this impressionist with its changing space-scape and all the planets, galaxies, stars and supernovas bursting throughout.

In keeping with the original inspiration for the yarn, this shawl is named LUE (Life, the Universe, and Everything Else).  And of course, the answer is 42.

Yarn

Knit Circus Greatest of Ease (Color: Space is Big, Really Big);

80% superwash merino, 20% nylon; 600yds (548.64m), 5.25oz (150g)

Hook

F-size (3.75mm) hook

Notions

Tapestry needle

73 #6/0 glass beads

Size

58″ across and 48″ and 28″ on the beaded sides (147cm across and 122cm and 71cm on the beaded edges).

Gauge

The first 21 rows of the pattern yield these measurements:

Special Stitches

Please see our standard abbreviations.

Place bead

Bead chain: ch1, place bead, ch2

Cluster: yo, insert hook in st indicated, pull up lp, yo, pull through 2 lps, yo, insert hook in st indicated, pull up lp, yo, pull through 2 lps, yo, pull through 3 lps

Leaning-V: (sc, ch2, dc) in indicated st or ch-sp; When working into a Leaning-V, the stitch is done into the ch2-sp

NOTE: I found the flow of the pattern lends itself to ending a row with the turning chain and turn so have written the instructions as such.

Shawl Instructions

Part 1: Life

Row 1: Ch1, place bead, ch4, sl st in 1^st ch to form a ring, ch1, turn, Leaning-V, cluster into ring, ch1, turn.

{1 ring, 1 Leaning-V, 1 cluster}

Row 2: Leaning-V in cluster, Leaning-V in Leaning-V, sc in last sc, ch 1, turn. {2 Leaning-V, 1 sc}

Row 3: Sk 1^st sc, (sc, bead chain, dc) in Leaning-V, Leaning-V in next Leaning-V, cluster in last sc of Leaning-V; ch 1, turn.

{1 sc, 1 bead ch, 1 dc, 1 Leaning-V, 1 cluster}

Row 4: Leaning-V in cluster, Leaning-V in each Leaning-V across, Leaning-V in sc of last Leaning-V worked into, sc in ch2 portion of bead chain-sp, ch 1, turn. {3 Leaning-V, 1 sc}

Row 5: Sk 1^st sc, Leaning-V in each Leaning-V, cluster in last sc of Leaning-V, ch 1, turn. {3 Leaning-V, 1 cluster}

Row 6: Leaning-V in cluster, Leaning-V in each Leaning-V across, sc in last sc, ch 1, turn. {4 Leaning-V, 1 sc}

Row 7: Sk 1^st sc, (sc, bead chain, dc) in 1^st Leaning-V, Leaning-V in remaining Leaning-V across, cluster in last sc of Leaning-V; ch 1, turn. {1 sc, 1 bead ch, 1 dc, 3 Leaning-V, 1 cluster}

Row 8: Leaning-V in cluster, Leaning-V in each Leaning-V across, Leaning-V in sc of last Leaning-V worked into, sc in ch2 portion of bead chain space, ch 1, turn. {5 Leaning-V, 1 sc}

Row 9: Sk 1^st sc, Leaning-V in each Leaning-V across, cluster in last sc of Leaning-V, ch 1, turn. {5 Leaning-V, 1 cluster}

Rows 10 – 41: Repeat rows 6-9 {row 10: 6 Leaning-V, 1 sc; row 41: 21 Leaning-V, 1 sc}

Leaning-V stitch count at the end of selected rows:

Row 13 = 7

Row 17 = 9

Row 21 = 11

Row 25 = 13

Row 29 = 15

Row 33 = 17

Row 37 = 19

Row 41 = 21

Row 42: Leaning-V in cluster, Leaning-V in each Leaning-V across, sc in last sc, ch 1, turn. {22 Leaning-V, 1 sc}

Part 2: The Universe

Row 43: Sk 1^st sc, (sc, bead chain, dc) in 1^st Leaning-V, Leaning-V in remaining Leaning-V across, cluster in last sc; ch 1, turn. {1 sc, 1 bead ch, 1 dc, 21 Leaning-V, 1 cluster}

Row 44: Leaning-V in cluster, Leaning-V in each Leaning-V across, sc in ch2 portion of bead chain space, ch 1, turn.

{22 Leaning-V, 1 sc}

Row 45: Sk 1^st sc, Leaning-V in 1^st Leaning-V, (ch3, dc in next Leaning-V) across to last Leaning-V, Leaning-V in last Leaning-V, cluster in last sc, ch 1, turn. {20 ch3-sp, 20 dc, 2 Leaning-V, 1 cluster}

Row 46: Leaning-V in cluster, Leaning-V in Leaning-V, Leaning-V in each ch3-sp across, sc in last sc, ch 1, turn.

{23 Leaning-V, 1 sc}

Row 47: Sk 1^st sc, (sc, bead chain, dc) in 1^st Leaning-V, Leaning-V in remaining Leaning-V across, cluster in last sc; ch 1, turn. {1 sc, 1 bead ch, 1 dc, 22 Leaning-V, 1 cluster}

Row 48: Leaning-V in cluster, Leaning-V in each Leaning-V across, sc in ch2 portion of bead chain space, ch 1, turn.

{23 Leaning-V, 1 sc}

Row 49: Sk 1^st sc, Leaning-V in each Leaning-V across, cluster in last sc, ch 1, turn. {23 Leaning-V, 1 cluster}

Row 50: Leaning-V in cluster, Leaning-V in each Leaning-V across, sc in last sc, ch 1, turn. {24 Leaning-V, 1 sc}

Rows 51-90: Repeat rows 43-50 {row 51: 1 sc, 1 bead chain, 24 Leaning-V, 1 cluster; row 90: 34 Leaning-V, 1 sc}

Leaning-V stitch count at the end of selected rows:

Row 54=25; row 58=26

Row 62=27; row 66=28

Row 70=29; row 74=30

Row 78=31, row 82=32

Row 86=33, row 90=34

Row 91: Sk 1^st sc, (sc, bead chain, dc) in 1^st Leaning-V, Leaning-V in remaining Leaning-V across, cluster in last sc; ch 1, turn. {1 sc, 1 bead ch, 1 dc, 33 Leaning-V, 1 cluster}

Row 92: Leaning-V in cluster, Leaning-V in each Leaning-V across, sc in ch2 portion of bead chain space, ch 1, turn.

{34 Leaning-V, 1 sc}

Row 93: Sk 1^st sc, Leaning-V in 1^st Leaning-V, (ch3, dc in next Leaning-V) across to last Leaning-V, Leaning-V in last Leaning-V, cluster in last sc, ch 1, turn. {32 ch3-sp, 32 dc, 2 Leaning-V, 1 cluster}

Row 94: Leaning-V in cluster, Leaning-V in Leaning-V, Leaning-V in each ch3-sp across, sc in last sc, ch 1, turn.

{35 Leaning-V, 1 sc}

Rows 95-118: Repeat rows 91-94 {row 95: 1 sc, 1 bead ch, 1 dc, 34 Leaning-V, 1 cluster; row 118: 41 Leaning-V, 1 sc}

Leaning-V stitch count at the end of selected rows:

Row 98 = 36

Row 102 = 37

Row 106 = 38

Row 110 = 39

Row 114 = 40

Row 118 = 41

Part 3: Everything else

Row 119: Sk 1^st sc, (sc, bead chain, dc) in 1^st Leaning-V, Leaning-V in remaining Leaning-V across, cluster in last sc; ch 1, turn. {1 sc, 1 bead ch, 1 dc, 40 Leaning-V, 1 cluster}

Row 120: Leaning-V in cluster, Leaning-V in each Leaning-V across, Leaning-V in sc of last Leaning-V, sc in ch2 portion of bead chain space, ch 1, turn. {42 Leaning-V, 1 sc}

Row 121: Sk 1^st sc, (sc, ch1, place bead, ch1, dc) in each Leaning-V across, cluster in last sc {42 sc, 42 dc, 42 beads, 1 cluster}

Fasten off, weave in ends

Block as desired