Aeolian Shawl
Aeolian Shawl
SIZE
Shoulderette[Shawl]
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Handspun Flame Shoulderette
Length at center back: 27 inches
Width: 64 inches
Purple Shoulderette
Length at center back: 23 inches
Width: 48 inches
Silver Cream Shawl
Length at center back: 38 inches
Width: 90 inches
MATERIALS
Handspun Flame Shoulderette
Handspun Blue Faced Leicester [100% Blue Faced Leicester; approximately 500yd/457m and 2oz/57g
skein, 35wpi]; color: yellow food coloring, Mexican Kool-Aid in Jamaica (Hibiscus) and Tamarindo
Recommended needle size:
1 US 5/3.75mm circular needle, 24 inches or longer
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
Purple Shoulderette
Misti Alpaca Lace [100% Baby Alpaca; 437yd/400m per 50g skein]; color: Merlot; 1 skein
Note: The shoulderette shown required approx. 430yd/395m. Buy a second skein to be safe.
Recommended needle size
1 US 4/3.5mm circular needle, 24 inches or longer
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
GAUGE
PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]
This pattern is modular. If you wish to change the size, you can do so by varying the number of repeats of
the Yucca chart and Agave chart. Keep the following things in mind:
The Yucca chart must be worked an even number of times (ie. twice, six times) before working
the Transition chart.
The Agave chart may be worked any number of times before working the Final Agave chart.
The Edging section requires a surprising quantity of yarn. For the silver cream shawl, the edging
and bind-off required 45% of the yarn. For the smaller shoulderette, the edging required 65% of
the yarn!
If you are using stitch markers between each pattern repeat to keep track of the lace pattern, note that
there will be points in some charts where decreases within the pattern will necessitate moving the
markers.
Estonian Stitches
This shawl was inspired by three stitch patterns from Pitsilised Koekirjad, an Estonian stitch dictionary.
This book does not give names for individual stitch patterns. Here I refer to them by desert plants they
resemble. I modified the original stitch designs so that the repeat lengths match and the patterns flow
from one stitch to the next. For an excellent description of Estonian lace stitches, see this site.
For more examples of the beautiful stitches originating in Estonia, take a look at the Estonian Lace
Study. For a history of Estonian lace knitting, as well as beautiful Estonian shawls, both traditional and
contemporary, see Knitted Lace of Estonia: Techniques, Patterns, and Traditions, by Nancy Bush.
Crochet Cast-On
Using waste yarn, work a crochet chain several sts longer than the number of sts to be cast on. Starting 1
or 2 sts in from end of chain and using working yarn, pick up and k 1 st in the back loop of each ch until
the required number of sts have been picked up. Later, the chain will be unraveled and the resulting live
sts picked up.
K3tog: Knit next 3 sts together.
Sssk: Slip next 3 sts knitwise, one at a time, to right needle. Insert left needle into fronts of these 3 sts
and knit them together.
S2KP: Slip next 2 sts together, knitwise, as if to work a k2tog. Knit next st through back loop, then pass
both slipped sts over st just knit. This forms a centered double decrease.
sk2p: Slip 1 knitwise, k2tog, pass slipped st over. 2 sts decreased.
Nupps: 7-stitch or 9-stitch nupps may be worked for this shawl. Try swatching each kind to see which
type works best for the yarn you choose.
Nupp (7-stitch used in Purple Shoulderette): K1 without dropping st from left needle, yo, [k same
st again without dropping from left needle, yo] 2 times, k same st again and drop st from left needle. 1 st
increased to 7 sts. On following WS row, purl these 7 sts together.
Nupp (9-stitch used in Handspun Flame Shoulderette and Silver Cream Shawl): K1 without
dropping st from left needle, yo, [k same st again without dropping from left needle, yo] 3 times, k same
st again and drop st from left needle. 1 st increased to 9 sts. On following WS row, purl these 9 sts
together.
In a non-elastic yarn such as bamboo, it is particularly important to make the Nupp increase stitches very
loosely; the stitches should be approx. 0.5 inch long. It helps to use a finger to hold each new stitch in
place so that you do not inadvertently tighten the last increase while making the next one. On the WS
row, when you insert the right hand needle to purl the stitches together, if you have made the stitches
loose enough, not only should it be easy to insert the needle, you should be able to see space between
the two needles. See the images below:
Placing Beads: The beads are placed on RS rows using a very narrow steel crochet hook. To place a
bead on a stitch, first insert the hook through the hole in the bead, and slide the bead onto the shaft of
the hook. Slip the stitch off the needle and onto the hook, slide the bead down the hook and onto the
stitch. Slip the stitch back to the needle, then knit it. Detailed directions can be found here.
Placing Beads on Decreases: When a bead is to be placed on a decrease, the bead should be placed
before working the decrease, as follows:
For a [ssk], place the bead on the first st on the left needle.
For a [k2tog], place the bead on the second st on the left needle.
For a [S2KP], place the bead on the second st on the left needle.
Pattern repeats when working from charts: The set-up chart shows all stitches as knitted. In the
other charts, the pattern repeat is outlined in red. Knit the stitches to the right of the outlined pattern
repeat, repeat the stitches between the red lines until just enough stitches remain before the center stitch
marker to finish by knitting the stitches to the left of the outlined pattern repeat. Repeat on second side of
the shawl.
Directions for blocking a lace shawl may be found here.
DIRECTIONS
Next Row [RS]: Sl 1, k1[2], work Row 1 of Right Edge Chart, place marker, work Row 1 of Edge Set-up
Chart, slip marker, work Row 1 of Center Edge Chart, slip marker, work Row 1 of Edge Set-up Chart, place
marker, work Row 1 of Left Edge Chart, k2[3].
This row sets pattern for edging. Continue in pattern, working through charts as established, until Row 28
of Edge Set-up Chart is complete.
Continue working Right, Center and Left Edge Charts as set, working Rows 29-46 of Main Edge Chart in
place of Set-up Edge Chart. 525[983] sts.
BO Row [RS]: Using 2 strands of yarn held together, p2, [sl both sts back to left needle and p2tog, p1] to
last st, sl both sts back to left needle and p2tog. Break yarn and draw through last st.
FINISHING
Weave in ends.
Following directions, block shawl, first pinning out the center point of all the edging flower motifs, then
going back and pinning out four additional points in each motif, in the edge stitches directly above the
nupps (two points on either side of each flower center). For the spine flower, pin out points every other
bead. The shawl will block to slightly more than a triangle.
Allow shawl to dry completely before unpinning.