Knitting

Northern Rose Shawl Part One

 

I have been working on this shawl pattern for a while now.  It is a hybrid of Shetland and Faroese styling with only garter lace and plain garter stitch parts (no purls here!). 

It has been one of those projects where if anything is going to go wrong it will.  If you look closely at the photo you will see what I mean.  Even the yarn was spun with more mohair in some parts than in others which was fine in the natural but not so fine in the rose.  Alternating skeins seemed to make no difference.

I had some random skeins of a mohair, silk and wool blend that the ebay monster made me buy and did not have anything already developed that I thought the yarn wanted to be.  I had three colours, 100g of natural, 100g of deep rose, and 200g of dark green.  I ended up with just 50g of the green which I have no idea what I will do with but, you know, never throw away good yarn.  That explains the thirty year old skeins in my stash!

Anyway, back to the shawl, I have written the pattern and am offering it free in parts with written directions only over the next three blog posts.  I will publish it on Ravelry but as a paid pattern with charts as well as written directions.  This first part will give you a sampler of what the whole pattern will be like.  This section could be continued to make the whole shawl if you want a simpler wrap up and it would be a very cozy piece.

 

Materials: Worsted weight yarn: 125m (140 yds) of cream, 170m (185 yds) of rose, 250m (280yds) of green.

Tools: 5.5mm (US 9) 60cm (24”) circular knitting needle, 4 or more stitch markers, tapestry needle to weave in ends.

Gauge: 14 stitches and 16 rows in garter stitch, blocked.  Gauge is not crucial but you should try to achieve a close number to ensure that your shawl is the same size.

Cast on 23 stitches using a cable cast on.  All stitches in this pattern are knit; no purls here!  On every wrong side row throughout the shawl, knit all stitches, slipping markers as you come to them.

Initial Row: K1, YO, (K2tog, YO) repeat to to last two stitches, K2tog.

First Wrong Side Row: Knit all stitches, slipping markers as you come to them.

Garter Stitch Section and Centre Lace Panel:

Row 1: K1, place marker YO, K2, YO, place marker, K6, YO, SSK, K2, YO, SSK, K6, place marker, YO, K2, YO, place marker, K1.

Row 3: K1,slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K4, K2tog, YO, K1, YO, SSK, K2, YO, SSK, K5, slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K1.

Row 5: K1, slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K3, K2tog, YO, K3, YO, SSK, K2, YO, SSK, K4, slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K1.

Row 7: K1, slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K2, K2tog, YO, K2, K2tog, YO, K1, YO, SSK, K2, YO, SSK, K3, slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K1.

Row 9: K1, slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K1, K2tog, YO, K2, K2tog, YO, K3, YO, SSK, K2, YO, SSK, K2, slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K1.

Row 11: K1, slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K3, YO, SSK, K2 YO, SSK, YO, S2K1PSSO, YO, K2, K2tog, YO, K2, slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K1.

Row 13: K1, slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K4, YO, SSK, K2, YO, S2K1PSSO, YO, K2, K2tog, YO, K3, slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K1.

Row 15: K1, slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K5, YO, SSK, K2, YO, SSK, K1, K2tog, YO, K4, slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K1.

Row 16: K all stitches, slipping markers as you come to them.

Repeat Rows 1 to 16 three more times.  Change to the next colour now if you are making the shawl in three colours.  You should have 64 garter stitches between the first and second markers and the same on the other side of the lace panel.