Lilaceous shawl: Knitty Winter 2012

by Derya Davenport

In the Language of Flowers, lilacs symbolize the first emotions of love. In my private vocabulary, lilac-time is synonymous with springtime and I love to remember all the lilacs in gardens and roadsides that I've stopped to smell or snip. And who can forget Eliot's Lady with her bowl of lilacs, or Dickinson's Firmamental Lilac, or Nina Simone's rendition of Lilac Wine ("sweet and heady")?

I wanted to create a shawl that imitated the delicate yet effusive beauty of the lilac, to wear to a garden party or a spring wedding, or to simply swan around the park pretending to be graceful. The construction is something fresh: a square knit in the round from which three triangles grow out, knit flat. The finished shawl is triangular, but the construction allows for details such as the lilac buds that form the collar, the leafy finials at the end of each wing, and of course the central four-petal corolla that will doubtless delight your followers.

model: Derya Davenport

photos: Günes Davenport


SIZE One

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Width: 75 inches
Height: 36 inches

MATERIALS
Yarn
Feza Kid Mohair [85% mohair, 8% nylon, 7% polyester; 250m/275yds per 25g skein]; color: 572; 2 balls
Note: The sample shown used almost every inch of the 500m of yarn. You may wish to purchase extra to ensure you do not run short.

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
1 set US #7/4.5mm double-point needles
24-inch US #7/4.5mm circular needle

Notions
Crochet Hook
4 stitch markers
Tapestry Needle
Waste yarn (optional)

GAUGE

20 sts/28 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch after blocking
Note: Gauge isn't critical, though it will affect the final size of your shawl, and the amount of yarn you use. Make sure you use the appropriate needle size to make your lace look open and clear.

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

The shawl is worked in the round, beginning at the center of the square. The top side is then cast off, and the left wing worked back and forth. The yarn is then joined at the bottom-left corner of the square and the bottom tip knit back and forth. Finally, the yarn is joined at the bottom-right corner of the square and the right wing is knit back and forth.

The central square is adapted from a design in Marianne Kinzel's First Book of Modern Lace Knitting.

The shawl can easily be made larger by working more repeats of Chart B, and working the outlined sections in all subsequent charts once more per repeat.

You can find instructions for Emily Ocker's cast-on here.

Charts
The charts for this pattern are very large. Each fits on a letter-sized page.
Click below and print each resulting page.

charts A to F (D+E updated May 28/13) • chart G • chart H • chart I

Note: Even numbered rows are not charted. On these rows, purl across all sts.

DIRECTIONS
Central Square
With DPNs and crochet hook, CO 8 sts using Emily Ocker's cast on or similar cast on for knitting in the round. Place marker to indicate beginning of round. Knit one round.

Even numbered rounds are not charted. On these rounds, knit across all sts.

Work 4 repeats of Rnd 1 of Chart A, placing a stitch marker between each repeat. These st markers will mark the 4 corners of the square. Charts are to be repeated 4 times, once between each pair of st markers.

Work Rnds 1-14 of Chart A, changing to circular needles when the circumference becomes too big to fit on the DPNs. [80 sts]

Work Rnds 1-12 of Chart B, working the outlined section once only. [144 sts]

Work Rnds 1-12 of Chart B, working the outlined section twice. [208 sts]

Work Rnds 1-12 of Chart B, working the outlined section three times. [272 sts]

Work Rnd 1 of Chart C up to first st marker, work Rnd 1 of Chart D up to second marker, work Rnd 1 of Chart E up to third st marker, and Rnd 1 of Chart F up to final st marker, working the outlined section four times in each case. Work in this way until all rounds of Charts C, D, E and F are completed. [319 sts total - 80 in first section, 81 in second section, 78 in third section and 80 in fourth section]

BO 80 sts across top of the shawl thus: BO 1 st, *cable CO 3 sts, BO 5 sts, rep. from * to last st before st marker, BO 1 st.

Left Wing
You will now work the left wing of the shawl across the next 81 sts back & forth, leaving all other sts on waste yarn or on the circular needle.

Even numbered rows are not charted. On these rows, purl across all sts.

Work Rows 1-24 of Chart G, working outlined section three times.
Work Rows 1-24 of Chart G, working outlined section twice.
Work Rows 1-24 of Chart G, working outlined section once only.
Work Rows 25-72 of Chart G.
BO 17 sts as follows: *cable CO 3 sts, BO 5 sts, rep. from * to last st, cable CO 3 sts, BO 4 sts. Cut yarn.

Bottom Tip
Attach yarn to the bottom left-hand corner of the central square, and begin knitting back and forth across next 78 live sts from the RS, leaving all other sts on waste yarn or on the circular needle.

Even numbered rows are not charted. On these rows, purl across all sts.

Work Rows 1-60 of Chart H, working outlined section once only.
Note: On the first row ONLY the first stitch is an ssk, on all other odd numbered rows the first stitch is sssk.
Cut yarn and pull through final stitch.

Right Wing
Attach yarn to the bottom right-hand corner of the central square, and begin knitting back and forth across final 80 live sts from the RS.

Even numbered rows are not charted. On these rows, purl across all sts.

Work Rows 1-24 of Chart I, working outlined section three times. On the first row ONLY, work first sssk (shown in purple) as ssk. On all subsequent repeats, work as given.
Work Rows 1-24 of Chart I, working outlined section twice.
Work Rows 1-24 of Chart I, working outlined section once only.
Work Rows 25-72 of Chart I.
BO 17 sts as follows: *cable CO 3 sts, BO 5 sts, rep. from * to last st, cable CO 3 sts, BO 4 sts. Cut yarn.

FINISHING
Weave in ends and block to shape.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Derya publishes patterns, printables and tutorials at Laylock. She loves shawls of all shapes, and has created a cheatsheet to help you learn to knit a few.