Plymouth Yarn Leaf Lace Shawl Wrap Knitting Pattern

Plymouth Yarn Leaf Lace Shawl

What Is Being Made

The Plymouth Yarn Leaf Lace Shawl (Pattern No. 3352) is a triangular wrap measuring approximately 55 inches wide by 24 inches deep. This elegant shawl is designed as a versatile accessory that can be worn draped across the shoulders or styled in multiple ways. The finished piece showcases an intricate leaf lace pattern throughout, making it suitable for both everyday wear and special occasions.

Knitting Techniques

This shawl is constructed using several advanced knitting techniques that create its distinctive shape and drape:

• Top-Down Construction: The shawl begins with a small cast-on of just 5 stitches at the top and expands outward as you work downward, allowing you to try on the piece as it grows and adjust the final size if desired.
• Seamless, Worked Flat: The entire shawl is knit in one piece without seams, worked flat on circular needles rather than in the round. This creates a continuous fabric with no joining required.
• Mirrored Panels: The shawl is constructed of two mirrored panels that are worked together as one piece, creating a balanced, symmetrical design with increases placed on each outside edge and between the two center panels.
• Lace Pattern: The shawl features a beautiful leaf lace motif created through strategic yarn overs and decreases that form openwork sections throughout the fabric.
• Charted Pattern Sections: The design is worked using three separate charts (Chart 1, Chart 2, and Chart 3) that are followed in sequence. Charts 2 and 3 contain an overlapping shaded reference section for the center increases.

Stitches and Stitch Details

The Leaf Lace Shawl employs fundamental knitting stitches combined to create the lace effect:

• Knit Stitches (k): Basic knit stitches form the foundation of the fabric and appear throughout the pattern rows.
• Yarn Overs (yo): Yarn overs are used extensively to create the openwork lace pattern and are also strategically placed as increase stitches on the edges and center of the shawl to shape the triangular form.
• Garter Stitch: An 8-row garter stitch edging is worked at the bottom of the shawl for a finished edge. If beads are not used, these 8 rows of garter stitch serve as the bottom edging before binding off.
• Bead Placement: Optional beads (size 6/0) are placed on center stitches in specific sections marked with an "@" symbol on Charts 2 and 3. A small crochet hook is used to feed beads onto individual stitches as indicated.

Materials and Gauge

The shawl is worked in Electra Lite yarn by Plymouth Yarn, requiring 2 skeins of 100 grams each. The sample shown is worked in color 1 Onyx. The recommended gauge is 20 stitches over 4 inches when working the pattern stitch using size US 5 needles, though you should adjust needle size as necessary to obtain the correct gauge for proper finished dimensions.

Needles and Notions: You will need one size US 5 circular needle, stitch markers to track pattern repeats and increases, and optionally a small crochet hook for attaching beads. If you choose to embellish with beads, approximately 300 beads in size 6/0 are needed, though this is entirely optional and the shawl is equally beautiful without them.

Pattern Progression and Finishing

The pattern begins with a small cast-on and progresses through three charted sections. Increases occur every other row along the outside edges and between the two center panels, gradually expanding the triangular shape. The increases are created using yarn overs, which simultaneously add stitches and contribute to the lace pattern. Once all chart sections are complete, an 8-row garter stitch edging is worked at the bottom, followed by binding off. The finished shawl is then blocked to open up the lace pattern and achieve the final measurements.