by Zsuzsa Kiss

This is my first attempt at creating fractal-spun yarn. A fractal-spun yarn is created by dividing the top lengthwise into two pieces, and spinning one half. The remaining half of the wool is then divided into as many pieces as desired -- still lengthwise -- and spun one after the other. And then these two strands are plied together. The objective is to break up the color changes of the top, and create harmonious, interesting and sometimes unexpected color changes.

The top I used was hand-dyed by me especially for my sister who loves orange. Once finished, there was no doubt that it would become a sun-themed, semi-circular shawl.

The shawl is knitted top-down. A simple flame-like pattern becomes gradually larger, making it similar to the rising sun.

SIZE
One

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Width: 40 inches
Depth at point: 20 inches

MATERIALS
Fiber:
World of Wool, merino-bamboo blend top, hand-dyed by me. 570 y


Finished Yarn:
Wraps per inch: 17
Ply: 2
Yardage used: 485y
Drafting method: Short forward draw

	Spinning Tool: Kromsky Sonata; [scotch tension] Niddy Noddy: Ashford Lazy Kate: built into spinning wheel

Commercial Yarn Alternative
Schoppel-Wolle Admiral ombre [75% wool, 25% Nylon; 130 yd/50g skein]; color: 1959 Banan Joe; 4 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 40 inch circular needle

Tools
stitch markers
yarn needle

GAUGE

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

M1R: Insert left needle, from back to front, under the horizontal strand which lies between the stitch just knit, and the following stitch; then knit into the front of this loop. 1 stitch increased.

M1L: Insert left needle, from front to back1, under the horizontal strand which lies between the stitch just knit, and the following stitch; then knit into the back of this loop. 1 stitch increased.

Elastic Bind Off: K1, *k1, slip 2 sts back to the left needle, k2tog-tbl; rep from * until 1 st rems on right needle. Cut yarn and pull through final st to secure.

Chart 1
Row 1 [RS]: K3, p1, [p1, k2] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 2 [WS]: K4, [p2, k1] 16 times, k4.
Row 3 [RS]: K3, p1, [p1, k2tog, yo] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 4 [WS]: K4, [k1, p1, k1] 16 times, k4.
Row 5 [RS]: K3, p1, [p1, k1, yo, p1] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 6 [WS]: K4, [k1, p2, k1] 16 times, k4.
Row 7 [RS]: K3, p1, [p1, k2, p1] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 8 [WS]: K4, [k1, p2, k1] 16 times, k4.
Row 9 [RS]: K3, p1, [p1, yo, ssk, p1] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 10 [WS]: K4, [k1, p2, k1] 16 times, k4.
Row 11 [RS]: K3, p1, [p1, k2tog, yo, p1] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 12 [WS]: K4, [k1, p2, k1] 16 times, k4.
Row 13 [RS]: K3, p1, [p1, k2, p1] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 14 [WS]: K4, [k1, p2, k1] 16 times, k4.
Row 15 [RS]: K3, p1, [p1, k2tog, yo, p1] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 16 [WS]: K4, [k1, p2, k1] 16 times, k4.
Row 17 [RS]: K3, p1, [p1, k1, yo, k1, p1] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 18 [WS]: K4, [k1, p3, k1] 16 times, k4.
Row 19 [RS]: K3, p1, [p1, k3, p1] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 20 [WS]: K4, [k1, p3, k1] 16 times, k4.
Row 21 [RS]: K3, p1, [p1, yo, k1, ssk, p1] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 22 [WS]: K4, [k1, p3, k1] 16 times, k4.
Row 23 [RS]: K3, p1, [p1, k1, yo, k2, p1] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 24 [WS]: K4, [k1, p4, k1] 16 times, k4.

Chart 2
Row 1 [RS]: K3, p1, [p1, k4, p1] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 2 [WS]: K4, [k1, p4, k1] 16 times, k4.
Row 3 [RS]: K3, p1, [p1, k4, yo, p1] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 4 [WS]: K4, [k1, p5, k1] 16 times, k4.
Row 5 [RS]: K3, p1, [p1, k2tog, k2, yo, k1, p1] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 6 [WS]: K4, [k1, p5, k1] 16 times, k4.
Row 7 [RS]: K3, p1, [p1, k5, p1] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 8 [WS]: K4, [k1, p5, k1] 16 times, k4.
Row 9 [RS]: K3, p1, [p1, yo, k5, p1] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 10 [WS]: K4, [k1, p6, k1] 16 times, k4.
Row 11 [RS]: K3, p1, [p1, k1, yo, k2, ssk, k1, p1] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 12 [WS]: K4, [k1, p6, k1] 16 times, k4.
Row 13 [RS]: K3, p1, [p1, k2, yo, k2, ssk, p1] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 14 [WS]: K4, [k1, p6, k1] 16 times, k4.
Row 15 [RS]: K3, p1, [p1, M1R, k6, pfb] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 16 [WS]: K4, [k2, p7, k1] 16 times, k4.
Row 17 [RS]: K3, p1, [p1, k3, k2tog, k2, yo, p2] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 18 [WS]: K4, [k2, p7, k1] 16 times, k4.
Row 19 [RS]: K3, p1, [p1, k2, k2tog, k2, yo, k1, p2] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 20 [WS]: K4, [k2, p7, k1] 16 times, k4.
Row 21 [RS]: K3, p1, [p1, k1, k2tog, k2, yo, k2, p2] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 22 [WS]: K4, [k2, p7, k1] 16 times, k4.
Row 23 [RS]: K3, p1, [p1, k4, yo, k3, p2] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 24 [WS]: K4, [k2, p8, k1] 16 times, k4.
Row 25 [RS]: K3, p1, [pfb, k8, M1L, p2] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 26 [WS]: K4, [k2, p9, k2] 16 times, k4.
Row 27 [RS]: K3, p1, [p2, yo, k3, ssk, k4, p2] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 28 [WS]: K4, [k2, p9, k2] 16 times, k4.
Row 29 [RS]: K3, p1, [p2, k1, yo, k3, ssk, k3, p2] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 30 [WS]: K4, [k2, p9, k2] 16 times, k4.
Row 31 [RS]: K3, p1, [p2, k2, yo, k3, ssk, k2, p2] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 32 [WS]: K4, [k2, p9, k2] 16 times, k4.
Row 33 [RS]: K3, p1, [p2, k3, yo, k3, ssk, k1, p2] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 34 [WS]: K4, [k2, p9, k2] 16 times, k4.
Row 35 [RS]: K3, p1, [p2, k4, yo, k5, p2] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 36 [WS]: K4, [k2, p10, k2] 16 times, k4.

Chart 3
Row 1 [RS]: K3, p1, [p2, k10, p2] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 2 [WS]: K4, [k2, p10, k2] 16 times, k4.
Row 3 [RS]: K3, p1, [p2, k10, yo, p2] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 4 [WS]: K4, [k2, p11, k2] 16 times, k4.
Row 5 [RS]: K3, p1, [p2, k4, k2tog, k4, yo, k1, p2] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 6 [WS]: K4, [k2, p11, k2] 16 times, k4.
Row 7 [RS]: K3, p1, [p2, k3, k2tog, k4, yo, k2, p2] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 8 [WS]: K4, [k2, p11, k2] 16 times, k4.
Row 9 [RS]: K3, p1, [p1, pfb, k2, k2tog, k4, yo, k3, p2] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 10 [WS]: K4, [k2, p11, k3] 16 times, k4.
Row 11 [RS]: K3, p1, [p3, k1, k2tog, k4, yo, k4, p2] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 12 [WS]: K4, [k2, p11, k3] 16 times, k4.
Row 13 [RS]: K3, p1, [p3, k2tog, k4, yo, k5, p2] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 14 [WS]: K4, [k2, p11, k3] 16 times, k4.
Row 15 [RS]: K3, p1, [p3, k5, yo, k6, p2] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 16 [WS]: K4, [k2, p12, k3] 16 times, k4.
Row 17 [RS]: K3, p1, [p3, k12, p2] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 18 [WS]: K4, [k2, p12, k3] 16 times, k4.
Row 19 [RS]: K3, p1, [p3, yo, k4, ssk, k6, p2] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 20 [WS]: K4, [k2, p12, k3] 16 times, k4.
Row 21 [RS]: K3, p1, [p3, k1, yo, k4, ssk, k5, pfb, p1] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 22 [WS]: K4, [k3, p12, k3] 16 times, k4.
Row 23 [RS]: K3, p1, [p3, k2, yo, k4, ssk, k4, p3] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 24 [WS]: K4, [k3, p12, k3] 16 times, k4.
Row 25 [RS]: K3, p1, [p3, k3, yo, k4, ssk, k3, p3] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 26 [WS]: K4, [k3, p12, k3] 16 times, k4.
Row 27 [RS]: K3, p1, [p3, M1, k4, yo, k4, ssk, k2, p3] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 28 [WS]: K4, [k3, p13, k3] 16 times, k4.
Row 29 [RS]: K3, p1, [p3, k6, yo, k4, ssk, k1, p3] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 30 [WS]: K4, [k3, p13, k3] 16 times, k4.
Row 31 [RS]: K3, p1, [p3, k7, yo, k4, ssk, p3] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 32 [WS]: K4, [k3, p13, k3] 16 times, k4.
Row 33 [RS]: K3, p1, [p3, k8, yo, k5, p3] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 34 [WS]: K4, [k3, p14, k3] 16 times, k4.
Row 35 [RS]: K3, p1, [p3, k14, p3] 16 times, p1, k3.
Row 36 [WS]: K4, [k3, p14, k3] 16 times, k4.

DIRECTIONS
Setup
CO 3 sts, knit 13 rows. Turn your work 90 degrees, pick up and knit 6 stitches along the long edge, 1 stitch for each garter ridge; turn your work 90 degrees again and pick up and knit 3 sts from the CO edge. 12 sts.

Row 1 [RS]: K3, p6, k3.

Row 2 [WS]: K3, kfb 6 times, k3. 18 sts.

Rows 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 [WS]: K3, purl to the last 3 sts, k3.

Row 4 [RS]: K3, kfb to the last 3 sts, k3. 30 sts.

Row 6 [RS]: Knit.

Row 8 [RS]: K3, [k1, kfb] to the last 3 sts, k3. 42 sts.

Row 10 [RS]: Knit.

Row 12 [RS]: K4, [kfb, k2] to the last 5 sts, kfb, k4 .54 sts.

Row 14 [RS]: K3, kfb, k to the last 4 sts, kfb, k3. 56 sts.

Pattern Section
Work Chart 1. 104 sts
Work Chart 2. 232 sts
Work Chart 3. 328 sts

FINISHING
Using the Elastic Bind Off method, BO.
Block the shawl, weave in ends.

Zsuzsa Kiss lives in Winterhur, Switzerland, with 3 daughters and her husband. She likes challenges, especially in knitting. She loves the learning process and trying out new things, in designing shapes, colours and fibers.

You can find her on Ravelry, in her group, on her website or on Facebook.