As a designer known for creating fitted knits, I can’t help but combine my love of the Top-Down-Sweater with my newfound love of lace knitting. 

In this shawl, I use principles of sweater design to create a beautiful accessory that really is fitted! The placement of the three increase points creates shoulders in the shawl. This means that it won’t fall off!  There is fullness at the back, fullness at the front, and a perfect slope to the shoulder. 

While the main lace chart does have a lot of rows, most of them are simple variants of one another which keeps this elaborate–looking lace well within the piquant knitting skill zone.

SIZE
One

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Width: approx. 72 inches
Length at center: approx. 36 inches

MATERIALS
Yarn
Lorna’s Laces Green Line Worsted [100% organic merino wool; 210yd/192m per 4oz skein]; color: Devon; 3 skeins

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
1 40-inch US #10/6mm circular needle

Notions
Yarn needle
Stitch markers

GAUGE
12 sts/16 rows = 4" in stockinette st after blocking

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

This shawl could be knit beautifully in lace weight, sock weight, DK weight, or any yarn weight (using appropriate needles.) The smaller the yarn and needles you choose, the smaller the dimensions of your shawl will be. If you decide to use very tiny yarn and needles, you may wish to work an extra repeat of one or more of the lace charts. OR, you may enjoy wearing the smaller project as a shawlette or neck scarf.


Information about blocking lace can be found here and here.

sk2p: Sl 1, k2tog, pass slipped st over. 2 sts decreased.

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

Chart A • Charts B & C

DIRECTIONS
Note: If you do not wish to work the garter stitch beginning described in the next paragraph, CO 9 sts and proceed to Row 1.

CO 3 sts.

K 6 rows; do not turn work at end of last row.

Rotate work 90 degrees clockwise; pick up and k 3 sts (1 st for each garter st ridge) along adjacent edge of work.

Rotate work 90 degrees clockwise; pick up and k 3 sts (1 st for each CO st) along CO edge. 9 sts on needle.

Row 1 [WS]: K3, p3, k3.

Row 2 [RS]: K3, [yo, k1] three times, yo, k3. 13 sts.

Row 3 [WS]: K3, p7, k3.

Row 4 [RS]: K3, [yo, k1] seven times, yo, k3. 21 sts.

Row 5 [WS]: K3, p15, k3.

Row 6 [RS]: K3, place marker, [yo, k3, yo, place marker, k1, place marker] three times, yo, k3, yo, place marker, k3. 29 sts.

Row 7 [WS]: K3, p23, k3.

Eight markers have been placed. These markers divide the shawl into four sections, each section separated from the next by a single knit stitch. First and last 3 sts are worked in garter st.

When working from charts as instructed below, work as follows:

RS rows: K3, slip marker, [work chart row, slip marker, k1, slip marker] three times, work chart row, slip marker, k3.

WS rows: K3, p to last 3 sts, k3.

Work Rows 1-32 of Chart A. 157 sts.

Work Rows 1-24 of Chart B twice. 349 sts.

Work Rows 1-2 of Chart C four times, then work Row 1 once more. Note that stitch count does not change over Chart C.

Loosely BO all sts.

FINISHING
Weave in ends and block (see Pattern Notes for links to articles about blocking lace).

Stefanie Japel has been designing fitted knits for the last 10 years, and you can read more about her at stefaniejapel.com. Stefanie lives in New Mexico with her husband, 2-year-old daughter, and is expecting a second daughter in February. She is the author of two knitting books: Fitted Knits and Glam Knits (fw Media.)

Stefanie teaches knitting classes (including a Fitted Raglan Shawl class and a Design Your Own Shawl class) online. Read Knitty's review of Stefanie's classes in this issue.