“Prairie Winds” is a fingering-weight, heart-shaped shawl featuring a chevron leaf lace border.

The shawl is worked top-down, beginning with stockinette body followed by a lace border.

Tutorials

CDD (centered double decrease)

Improved SSKs

Lace knitting 101

How to read a knitting chart

Size

70″ (width) x 18″ (depth) (178 cm x 45 cm)

Yarn

Eden Cottage Yarns Milburn 4ply (85% British Bluefaced Leicester, 15% silk; 218 yards [200 meters]/50 grams): Dogwood, 2 balls.

Thanks to Eden Cottage Yarns for sponsoring yarn on this design.

Needles

Size US size 10 (6 mm) and size 6 (4 mm): 32” circular

Notions

Removable stitch markers; tapestry needle or crochet hook to weave in ends; approx. 25 size 6/0 (4 mm) beads

Gauge

20 sts and 32 rows = 4” [10 cm] in St st after wet blocking.

Abbreviations

Please see our standard abbreviations.

K2togtbl – Blue font indicates a beaded k2togtbl st in the bind off – knit 2 sts together through the back loop and then place the bead on the st.

Pattern Notes

The shawl is worked top-down beginning with casting on a few sts using a modified garter tab cast on. A set of paired yo increases on the RS and WS create a heart-shaped or winged triangular shawl. When the requisite st count is reached, the lace border is knit, followed by a special beaded bind off. The shawl is flanked by 2-st garter borders at either end. You can work the lace border either from the chart or written instructions.

Use of beads in the BO is optional.

Lace Chart

The chart shows only odd (RS rows). All even (WS) rows are simply purled between the garter edges. In all, 24 sts (12 sts at either end) are increased per lace repeat.

Notes:

• The 2-st garter edges and edge increases are not included in the chart.
• On Rows 9 and 13, the last rep ends with ssk, not sk2psso.

Shawl Instructions

Setup

Using smaller needles, CO 2 sts and knit 10 rows (5 garter ridges).

Row 1 (RS): K2 along the short end of the tab, rotate work 90 deg to the left and yo, (pickup & k1 from garter bump) 2 times along the long edge of the tab, yo, pickup & k1, yo, (pickup & k1) 2 times, yo, rotate work 90 deg to the left and k2 along the CO edge (13 sts).

Row 2 (WS): K2, pm, p4, pm, p1, pm, p4, pm, k2

Row 3: K2, sm, yo, k to m, yo, sm, k1, sm, yo, k to last m, yo, sm, k2. (4 sts increased, 17 sts)

Row 4: K2, yo, p to last 2 sts, yo, k2. (2 sts increased, 19 sts)

Rep Rows 3-4 until you have 253 sts on your needles.

Next Row (RS): Rep Row 3. (4 sts increased, 257 sts on needles)

Remove all markers and replace them on the WS row as follows:

Next Row (WS): K2, pm, p to last 2 sts, pm, k2. (257 sts on needles)

Weigh yarn at the end of the stockinette section and after the first lace rep. You would need approx. 45g of yarn for the body and about 15-20g of yarn on average per lace rep.

Lace Border

Using the chart or written instructions, work the lace border as follows. The lace border includes the 2-st garter edge at either end. On all odd (RS) rows and all even (WS) rows except 12 and 14, 2 sts are increased. All even (WS) rows are simply purled between the garter edges. In all, 24 sts (12 sts at either end) are increased per lace repeat.

Notes:

• The 2-st garter edges and edge increases are not included in the chart.
• On Rows 9 and 13, the last rep ends with ssk, not sk2psso.

Row 1 (RS):  K2, yo, sm, k1, *k3, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k4; rep from * to last 2 sts, sm, yo, k2.

Row 2 and all WS rows except rows 12 and 14: K2, yo, p to last 2 sts, yo, k2.

Row 3: K2, yo, k to m, sm, k1, *k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k3; rep from * to m, sm, k to last 2 sts, yo, k2.

Row 5: K2, yo, k to m, sm, k1, *k1, (k2tog, yo) twice, k1, (yo, ssk) twice, k2; rep from * to m, sm, k to last 2 sts, yo, k2.

Row 7: K2, yo, k to m, sm, k1, *(k2tog, yo) twice, k3, (yo, ssk) twice, k1; rep from * to m, sm, k to last 2 sts, yo, k2.

Row 9: K2, yo, k to m, sm, k2tog, * yo, k2tog, yo, k5, yo, ssk, yo, sk2psso; rep from * ending last rep with ssk, sm, k to last 2 sts, yo, k2.

Row 11: K2, yo, k to m, sm, k1, *k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k1; rep from * to m, sm, k to last 2 sts, yo, k2.

Row 12: K2, p to last 2 sts, k2

Row 13: K2, yo, k to m, sm, k2tog, *yo, k3, yo, sk2psso; rep from * ending last rep with ssk, sm, k to last 2 sts, yo, k2.

Note: In the next WS row, you reposition your markers to account for increased sts and an additional lace rep.

Row 14: K2, pm, p to m, rm, p to next m, rm, p12, pm, k2 (24 sts increased, 12 sts increased at each end, 281 sts on needles).

Note: Be sure to weigh yarn at the end of the first lace border repeat.

Rows 15-42: Rep Rows 1-14 twice more. (305 sts on needles after 1^st rep, 329 sts after 2^nd rep).

Switch to larger needles. BO all sts using the beaded decreased lace BO method as follows:

K2, sl both sts to LN, *k2togtbl, sl st to LN, rep from *, working a k2togtbl (beaded k2togtbl) at every peak of the lace pattern (every 6^th k2togtbl) to end. Break yarn and pull through last st.

Finishing

Wet-block the shawl, pinning out the leaf tips with the beads. When dry, weave in ends.

About the Designer: Jaya

Jayalakshmi (aka Jaya) is a full time mom to twin girls. In the little precious “me time” that she gets, she packs in some knitting.

Her personal design philosophy is to create quick, simple, preferably seamless yet elegant knits that are as fun to knit as they are comfortable to wear.

Her Ravelry ID is jayashankar.