by

While diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, it’s the semi-precious gemstones that add color and warmth to her life. From Malachite to Lapis to Amethyst, they come in a multitude of colors: deep greens, rich blues, and even subtle shades of purple. Knit in a luxurious merino and silk blend, this shawl will add softness and warmth to carry you from the first chilly days of fall into winter.

Semi-precious is a triangular shawl with a garter stitch border that is knit from center back to the bottom edge. Yarnovers at each end and along the center stitch are used to form the triangle shape.  Increases are worked on right side only.

The yarn for all three samples was spun by talented fiber artist Diana Belanger: she recommends spinning slowly in order to get smooth plies.  Rather than trying to match up the colors of the two plies, she plied the two strands as is in order to create texture and greater depth of color in the yarn through the resulting marled effect.

SIZE
One

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Green and Pink/Purple Versions:
Width: 54 inches
Length: 25 inches

Gold Version:
Width: 50 inches
Length: 21 inches
Note: The gold shawl was worked with one fewer repeat of Chart B.  See Pattern Notes for details on resizing.

MATERIALS
Fiber
Enchanted Knoll Farms
green shawl:  [merino/silk/angelina] Color: Woodelves; 3oz
gold shawl:  [merino/sari silk/angelina] Color: Mango Lassi; 3oz
pink/purple shawl: [100% Targhee]; Color: Magenta; 3oz

Finished Yarn:
Wraps per inch: 13 as 2 ply
Yardage used: 400yds (365m)

	Spinning Tool: Lendrum folding castle wheel- double treadle [scotch tension] Niddy Noddy: Kromski 2 yard Lazy Kate: 3 bobbin Lendrum

GAUGE

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

In order to increase the size of the shawl, work additional repeats of chart B.  This will result in an increase of 36 stitches per row, and approximately 4 inches in both width and length.
 
The smaller Gold shawl was worked with one fewer repeat of Chart B.

DIRECTIONS

Knit two rows.

Row 1 [RS]: K2, work Row 1 of Chart A, k1, work Row 1 of Chart A, k2.

Row 2 and all following even rows [WS]: K2, p to last 2 sts, k2.

Row 3 [RS]: K2, work Row 3 of Chart A, k1, work Row 3 of Chart A, k2.

Work as set until all rows of Chart A are complete, ending after a WS row. 25 sts in each chart section, 55 sts total.

Work the 18 rows of Chart B as set twice, ending after a WS row. The first time through, work the central 18-st repeat once; the second time, work the central 18-st repeat twice. 61 sts in each chart section, 127 sts total. 

Work the 24 rows Chart C as set, ending after a WS row. 85 sts in each chart section, 175 sts total.

Work the 12 rows of Chart D as set, ending after a WS row. 97 sts in each chart section, 199 sts total.

Work the 18 rows of Chart E as set, ending after a WS row. 114 sts in each chart section, 233 sts total.

FINISHING
Bind off as follows: K2, slip the stitches back onto left needle, k2tog through the back loop, *k1, slip the stitches onto left needle, k2tog through the back loop; repeat from * until 1 st rems.  Cut yarn and pull through final stitch.

Weave in ends and block.

Joyce Fassbender is a PhD student in Biology in New York City. She was sad to discover that the beetles she studies don’t have any fiber to spin.

When she’s not obsessing over bugs, she’s obsessing over shawls. Her musings and brain droppings can be found on her blog.  You can find more of her designs under HaciMade Knits on Ravelry.