by Joyce Fassbender

One of my fondest childhood memories is walking the beaches of Florida at sunset: the white, white sand, the blue-green water, and the sky fading from brilliant blue to the pinks and purples of dusk. As the waves washed over the beach, you could find all sorts of treasures: iridescent shells, round sand dollars, beach glass.

This reversible shawl is reminiscent of my days as a beach comber. One side shows the tide coming in; when the treasures under the water are first revealed. If you were quick, you could pick one up before the tide went out. The other side shows the tide going out. The treasures are in plain sight and ready to be picked up and enjoyed.

This is a triangular shawlette with a garter stitch border that is knit from center back to the bottom edge. It is a reversible shawl that can be worn with either side facing out. Yarn overs at each end and along the center stitch are used to form the triangle shape. Increases are worked on the right side only.

SIZE
One

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Width: 65 inches
Depth: 31 inches

Measurements after blocking

MATERIALS
Yarn
[MC] ModeKnit Yarns ModeSock Fingering [60% superwash merino, 30% bamboo, 10% nylon; 382yds/349m per 100g skein]; 2 skeins; color: Lazurite Flow (shown above) OR Lazurite (shown at right).

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
24-32 length-inch US #5/3.75mm circular needle

Notions
yarn needle
stitch markers

GAUGE
22 sts/ 32 rows = 4 inches in pattern stitch

24 sts/ 32 rows = 4 inches in st stitch

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

To increase the size of the shawl, work additional repeats of Chart B. This will result in an increase of 48 stitches per repeat.

purl central double decrease
slip one stitch onto right needle knitwise, slip a second stitch onto right needle knitwise, put the left needle through these stitches from the front and slip them back onto the left needle (they should look twisted), then purl 3 together.

The way the purl central double decrease is worked was developed by Susan Glinert Stevens and is pure genius. Instructions (with pictures) on how to do the stitch can be found here.

DIRECTIONS
Cast on 5 stitches using long tail cast on.

Set up rows:
Row 1 [RS]: K1, m1, k3, m1, k1. 7 sts.

Row 2 [WS]: Knit.

Next row, setup charts [RS]: K2, work Chart A, k1, work Chart A, k2.

Following row [WS]: K2, work Chart A, p1, work Chart A, k2.

Work as set until Chart A is complete, keeping 2 edge stiches in garter and center stitch in stockinette as established throughout. 43 sts.

Next row, establish chart B [RS]: Work Chart B, (working repeat across to 4 sts before center st) , k1, work Chart B (working repeat across to 6 sts before end of row), k2.

Continue as set, working edging and center stitch as established, until 5 full repeats of the chart have been worked, and adding additional repeats of the 12-stitch pattern as required. 283 sts.

Next row, establish chart C [RS]: K2, work Chart C, (working 12-stitch repeat 11 times to 4 sts before center st), k1, work Chart C (working 12-stitch repeat 11 times to 6 sts before end of row), k2.

Continue as set until Chart C is complete. 319 sts.

Next row, establish chart D [RS]: K2, work Chart D, (working 12-stitch repeat 13 times to 1 st before center st), k1, work Chart D (working 12-stitch repeat 13 times to 3 sts before end of row), k2. 375 stitches.

Continue as set until Chart D is complete.

FINISHING
Bind off as follows:
K1, *k1, slip stitches onto left needle, k2tog through the back loop; rep from * until all stitches are bound off.

Weave in ends and block.

Joyce Fassbender is a biology lecturer in New York City. She recently got a new puppy that she's training to be a good knitting dog, but not to knit because, sadly, it can't hold the needles. When not playing with the puppy, she's obsessing over shawls and lace.

Her adventures with knitting, the puppy, and the city can be found on her blog.