Knitting



Knitted Lace Shoulder Shawl

'Flounce' is a lacy shoulder shawl, with delicate ruffles decorating the edge. It is worked in an unusual cross stitch which gives an open and attractive lace effect. In thin mohair fiber this is great for summer evenings.

Details

'Flounce' is a lace weight shoulder shawl and is deceptively simple to knit.

The shawl is knitted in Knitted Cross Stitch on large needles, it is quick to work. The shaping is simple - with piece of thread or ribbon threaded through the top of the shoulder shawl to gather the top edge in to ensure it sits on the shoulders effectively.

Measurements: Length (excluding ties) approximately 50 inches / 127 cms. Width (excluding ruffles) approximately 11 inches / 18 cms

Material: 2 balls Rowan Kidsilk Haze or similar.

Needles: 1 pair us10 / 6mm needles, 1 pair us1 / 2.25mm needles

Instructions:

Before starting refer to stitch instructions here.

Cast on 40 stitches.

Foundation row - Knit

Row 1: Purl 2, * Purl 1, Yarn on Needle (YON) * repeat from * to * to the last two stitches, Purl 2.

Row 2: Knit 2, work the rest of the row in cross stitch (see instructions) to last two stitches, Knit 2.

Row 3: Purl 4, * Purl 1, Yarn on Needle (YON) * to the last four stitches, Purl 4.

Row 4: Knit 4, work the rest of the row in cross stitch to last four stitches, Knit 4.

The above 4 rows forms 2 sets of 'crosses'.Repeat the above 4 rows 30 times, which gives 60 'crosses' in total, or until the work reaches the desired length.

To make ties

Work 2 rows in stocking stitch, change to the smaller needles and work 2 more rows of stocking stitch.

Next row knit 2 together down entire row (giving 20 stitches in total)- next row - Purl. Repeat these two rows once more (giving 10 stitches left).

Work on these two stitches in Stocking Stitch until the tie reaches 40cm (15 inch), or the required length, in total.

Pick up 40 stitches at the other end of the work, and repeat the instructions above.


To make the edging
Using the larger sized needles, and starting at the point where the tie meets the main body of the shawl, loosely pick up stitches along the end of the shawl. Approximately try to pick up a stitch for every row worked (one stitch here or there won't make a difference - this is why it is best to work loosely).

Row 1 Purl

Row 2 Knit 1, Make 1 (Yarn on Needle) repeat to the end of the row.

Repeat these two rows twice. Cast off very loosely to give a frilly edge (if necessary use a larger size needle to cast off).

Alternative Cast Off - This would work well with a crocheted cast off which would enhance the lacy edging.

To Finish:

Thread some ribbon or thread through the top edge of the shawl and gather it so it sits just on your shoulders (get someone to help you with this - another pair of hands might be useful!). Tie this off and sew in any loose ends.

The shawl might benefit from a light blocking.