Plymouth Yarn Fern Grotto Shawl Wrap Knitting Pattern

Plymouth Yarn Fern Grotto Shawl

What is Being Made

The Fern Grotto Shawl is a triangular lace shawl designed to be worked flat from the top down. This downloadable knitting pattern (Pattern No. 3137) creates a finished shawl measuring approximately 52 inches in wingspan and 27 inches in length, making it a generous wrap suitable for layering or draping across the shoulders.

Techniques Used

This shawl is constructed using lace knitting techniques worked in a flat construction method. The pattern employs a charted lace design called Fern Grotto Lace, which features strategic increases and decreases to create an openwork pattern. The shawl begins with a small number of cast-on stitches and expands through increases worked on right-side rows, gradually building width as the lace pattern develops. The construction method involves working through multiple chart repeats with varying stitch counts—beginning at 9 stitches, expanding to 50 stitches, then 134 stitches, and finally 166 stitches on the needle as the shawl grows.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques

The Fern Grotto Lace pattern incorporates several fundamental lace stitches and techniques:

• Yarn overs (yo) create the openwork characteristic of lace knitting
• Knit two together (k2tog) decreases used on right-side rows
• Slip, slip, knit (ssk) decreases for left-leaning decreases
• Purl two together (p2tog) decreases worked on wrong-side rows
• Purl two together through back loop (p2togtbl) for directional decreases on the wrong side
• Standard knit and purl stitches forming the foundation of the lace pattern

The lace pattern repeats over 6 rows in the initial charted sections, with the pattern presented in chart format for visual reference. Right-side rows are worked from right to left, while wrong-side rows are worked from left to right, following standard chart-reading conventions.

Materials and Tools

The Fern Grotto Shawl is worked using Plymouth Yarn Homestead yarn in color 13 Moss Green. The pattern requires 2 skeins of 100 grams each, providing sufficient yardage for the completed shawl. A US Size 9 (5.5mm) circular needle measuring 32 inches is used for the construction. The gauge is established at 21 stitches over 4¾ inches in the Fern Grotto Lace pattern after blocking, making accurate gauge swatching essential before beginning the project.

Finishing

The shawl is finished using wet blocking, which is essential for lace projects to open up and display the lace pattern properly. The finishing process involves soaking the completed shawl in lukewarm water, towel drying to remove excess moisture, and then pinning the shawl to the specified measurements. The wavy side edges and bound-off edge can be exaggerated during pinning for visual impact. The shawl is left to air dry completely before unpinning, and all yarn ends are woven in to complete the project.