SHAWL

CENTRE SQUARE

Note: This section is knitted flat, on two needles or circular needles, like a traditional Lancashire square, then seamed before you knit on the border and the edging.

Using 4mm circular needles and yarn A, cast on 341 sts using a provisional cast-on method. Place mrk to denote beg of rnd.

Row 1: Knit. Row 2: Knit. Row 3: K2tog, (K82, K3tog, pm) 3 times, K82, K2tog. 333 sts. Row 4 and all alternate rows: Knit. Row 5: K2tog, (K80, K3tog, slm) 3 times, K80, K2tog. 325 sts. Row 7: K2tog, (K78, K3tog, slm) 3 times, K78, K2tog. 317 sts. Continue in this way, decreasing 8 sts every alt row, until the following row has just been worked: Row 35: K2tog, (K48, K3tog, slm) 3 times, K48, K2tog. 205 sts.

Change to yarn B. Continue as set until 13 sts remain, ending on a decrease row.

Row 84: K13. Row 85: (K3tog) 3 times, K4tog. 4 sts. Row 86: K4. Row 87: Cast off loosely, leaving a long tail. Using this yarn tail, neatly graft or sew together the square’s diagonal seam, so you now have a square.

BORDER

Begin knitting the hap in the round as follows:

Using 4mm circular needles and yarn A, pick up and knit 85 sts per side around the centre square. 340 sts.

Set-up round: *K1; placing a locking marker in this stitch, M1, slm, (K8, M1) 10 times, K4; rep from * 3 more times. 384 sts: 95 sts per side, and 1 st for each corner.

BEGIN CHART A

Begin working Chart A on sts between markers, knitting the marked stitch on every round and moving the marker up as you go.

Rounds 1-10: Work in yarn A. Rounds 11-14: Work in yarn B. Rounds 15-18: Work in yarn A. Rounds 19-22: Work in yarn C. Rounds 23-26: Work in yarn A Rounds 27-30: Work in yarn D. Rounds 31-34: Work in yarn A. Rounds 35-36: Work in yarn B. 528 sts: 131 sts per side and 1 st at each corner.

Work Chart A once more as folls: Rounds 1-2: Work in yarn B. Rounds 3-6: Work in yarn A. Rounds 7-10: Work in yarn C. Rounds 11-14: Work in yarn A. Rounds 15-18: Work in yarn D. Rounds 19-22: Work in yarn A. Rounds 23-26: Work in yarn B. Rounds 27-30: Work in yarn A. Rounds 31-34: Work in yarn C. Rounds 35-36: Work in yarn A. 672 sts: 167 sts per side and 1 st at each corner.

Removing markers as you go, cont as folls: Next rnd (Dec): *K2tog, K5, (K2tog, K4), (K2tog, K5) 21 times, (K2tog, K4), K2; rep from * 3 more times. 576 sts: 144 sts for each side.

When complete, do not cast off. Leave all stitches live. You are going to cast off the border by knitting it together with the edge, every other row.

EDGING

Using 4mm needles and yarn A, and a provisional cast-on method, cast on 9 sts loosely. Work Chart B, working the last st of every WS row of the edging together with the live stitch from the shawl.

Rep rows 1-18 of Chart B until all the shawl sts have been worked. Graft cast-on and cast-off ends of edging together.

FINISHING

Soak gently and block shawl to size by pinning out on a firm surface, over towels or blocking mats. Carefully place one pin at the apex of each ‘wave’ of the edging. Dry away from direct heat. Weave in ends.