INTRODUCTION

Guild Park

by Laura Chau

Guild Park is worked in one of my all-time favourite Lorna’s Laces colorways, Blackberry. I used it on Shepherd Worsted for my Amelia pattern, and now here it is in Sportmate as a breezy wrap that’s quick and intuitive to knit!

The wrap is knit flat from end to end with a pretty slipped stitch edging on the long edges and just a couple of seed stitch rows at each short end. The body is asymmetrical, featuring a simple zigzag mesh punctuated by twists and dropped stitches. The dropped stitches push and pull the twisted stitch columns into lovely soft waves without the need for shaping.

Don’t be afraid of dropping a stitch off your needle - each dropped stitch column will only go as far as its first yarn over. You might find that you need to coax the stitch to unravel all the way down! A good soak is essential to blocking this shawl, as it’ll open up the lace and smooth out the dropped stitch ovals. 

You may opt to add stitch markers between each drop stitch pattern repeat while you get used to the pattern. For a lighter wrap, try Shepherd Sock or Solemate on US 6-7 [4-4.5mm]. Length is easily adjustable.

model: Laura Chau

photos: Dale Harrison

SIZE

One

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Width: 21 inches/54cm
Length: 60 inches/152cm

MATERIALS

Yarn
Lorna’s Laces Sportmate [70% superwash merino wool, 30% Outlast viscose; 270 yds / 100g skein]; color: Blackberry; 3 skeins

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below - every knitter's gauge is unique]
US #7/4.5mm needles for working flat

Notions
yarn needle
stitch markers

GAUGE

16 sts/24 rows = 4 inches/10cm in Drop Stitch Lace pattern

PATTERN NOTES

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

RT: K2tog and leave sts on left needle, knit first stitch on left needle again, slip off both sts.

LT: Knit second st on left needle through the back loop, knit the first stitch on the left needle, slip off both sts.

CHARTS

Lace Mesh (multiple of 2 sts and 4 rows)
Row 1 [RS]: *K2tog, yo; rep from * to end.
Row 2 [WS]: Purl.
Row 3: *Yo, ssk; rep from * to end.
Row 4: Purl.
Repeat Rows 1-4 for pattern.

Drop Stitch Lace (multiple of 12 sts and 24 rows; stitch count changes throughout)
Set-up Row [RS]: *(K2tog, yo) twice, RT, yo, RT, LT, RT; rep from * to end.
Set-up Row [WS]: Purl.
Row 1: *(Yo, ssk) twice, RT, k1, RT, LT, RT; rep from * to end.
Row 2 and all WS rows: Purl.
Row 3: *(K2tog, yo) twice, RT, k1, RT, LT, RT; rep from * to end.
Row 5: Rep Row 1.
Row 7: Rep Row 3.
Row 9: Rep Row 1.
Row 11: *(K2tog, yo) twice, RT, drop off next st and unravel down to yarn over, RT, LT, yo, RT; rep from * to end.
Row 13: *(Yo, ssk) twice, RT twice, LT, k1, RT; rep from * to end.
Row 15: *(K2tog, yo) twice, RT twice, LT, k1, RT; rep from * to end.
Row 17: Rep Row 13.
Row 19: Rep Row 15.
Row 21: Rep Row 13.
Row 23: (K2tog, yo) twice, RT, yo, RT, LT, drop off next st and unravel down to yarn over, RT;
Row 24: Purl.
Repeat Rows 1-24 for pattern.

DIRECTIONS

Using cable method, cast on 90 sts.

Edging Row 1 [RS]: [K1, p1] to end.
Edging Row 2 [WS]: [P1, k1] to end.

Set-up Row 1 [RS]: Sl1 wyib, sl1 wyif, k1, pm, work Row 1 of Lace Mesh over next 24 sts, pm, work Set-up Row [RS] of Drop Stitch Lace five times to last 3 sts, pm, k1, sl1 wyif, p1.
Set-up Row 2 [WS]: Sl1 wyib, k1, sl1 wyif, p to last 3 sts, sl1 wyif, k1, p1.

Row 1 [RS]: Sl1 wyib, sl1 wyif, k1, sl m, work next row of Lace Mesh to m, sl m, work next row of Drop Stitch Lace 5 times to last m, sl m, k1, sl1 wyif, p1.
Row 2 [WS]: Sl1 wyib, k1, sl1 wyif, work patts as set to last 3 sts, sl1 wyif, k1, p1.
Continue as for Rows 1-2, working next row of each pattern and maintaining slipped stitch edging at beginning and end of every row, until you have worked 14 full repeats of the Drop Stitch Lace pattern, then work Rows 1-10 of Drop Stitch Lace pattern once more.

Next Row [RS]: Sl1 wyib, sl1 wyif, k1, pm, work next row of Lace Mesh to m, sl m, *(k2tog, yo) twice, RT, drop off next st and unravel to yarn over, RT, LT, RT; rep from * to last m, sl m, k1, sl1 wyif, p1.
Next row [WS]: Sl1 wyib, k1, sl1 wyif, p to last 3 sts, sl1 wyif, k1, p1.

Edging Row 1 [RS]: [K1, p1] to end.
Edging Row 2 [WS]: [P1, k1] to end.
Bind off all stitches in pattern.

FINISHING

Weave in ends and block.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Laura Chau has been designing knitwear for over 10 years after getting her start in Knitty. Her work has appeared in numerous publications (including several for Knitty) in addition to self-publishing on Ravelry. She is the author of Teach Yourself Visually Sock Knitting.

When not knitting, she can be found cooking, reading, gardening, and trying to sew. She lives in Toronto. Find her at Ravelry, on Twitter, Instagram, or her website.

Pattern & images © 2018 Laura Chau.