Plymouth Yarn Eyelet Shawl Wrap Knitting Pattern

Plymouth Yarn Eyelet Shawl - Pattern No. 3391

What Is Being Made

The Yakima Eyelet Shawl is a top-down, seamless triangular wrap designed for intermediate knitters. This elegant shawl features a sophisticated two-color striped construction with delicate eyelet lace detailing. After blocking, the finished shawl measures approximately 30 inches from center back length with a generous 58-inch wingspan, making it a versatile accessory suitable for layering or draping.

Techniques Used

This shawl showcases several advanced knitting techniques that create both visual interest and structural integrity:

• Top-Down Construction: The shawl begins with a small number of cast-on stitches and increases progressively throughout the pattern, allowing knitters to customize the final size by working additional pattern repeats.
• Seamless Knitting: Worked entirely in the round on circular needles without seaming, creating a smooth, unified fabric.
• Stripes: The pattern incorporates color changes between Raspberry and Pewter yarns. Rather than cutting yarn between color changes, knitters carry the unused yarn up the side of the work while twisting strands together at the beginning of each row. This efficient technique eliminates the need for extensive weaving in of yarn ends.
• Lace Work: The vertical lace section features yarn overs combined with decreases (k2tog and ssk) to create openwork eyelet patterns that add elegance and drape to the finished piece.
• Worked Flat: Despite using circular needles, the shawl is worked flat in rows rather than in continuous rounds, allowing for the striped color pattern and directional lace design.

Stitches Used

The Yakima Eyelet Shawl employs fundamental knitting stitches combined in strategic ways to achieve its lace effects:

• Knit (k) and Purl (p): The foundation stitches creating stockinette stitch fabric and reverse stockinette accents.
• Yarn Over (yo): Used extensively throughout the pattern to create eyelet holes and increase stitches simultaneously, contributing to the shawl's openwork aesthetic.
• Knit Two Together (k2tog): A right-leaning decrease used in the lace sections to balance yarn overs and maintain stitch count.
• Slip, Slip, Knit (ssk): A left-leaning decrease that pairs with k2tog to create symmetrical lace motifs.
• Slip Stitch (sl): Used to pass stitches over markers without working them, maintaining pattern markers throughout the construction.
• Purl Through Back Loop (p1tbl): Creates a twisted stitch detail in the setup rows for added texture.

Materials

The Yakima Eyelet Shawl is constructed using Plymouth Yarn products in a carefully calculated yardage:

• Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Yakima in two colorways—2 skeins of color 207 Pewter (100g each) and 1 skein of color 203 Raspberry (100g). The two-color combination creates striking visual contrast while the yarn's characteristics support the lace and stripe elements of the design.
• Needles: US Size 6 (4mm) circular needles measuring 32 inches in length. Circular needles are essential for accommodating the increasing stitch count as the top-down shawl expands.
• Notions: Two stitch markers (m) to track the center stitch and pattern repeats throughout construction.
• Gauge: 17 stitches and 28 rows equal 4 inches in stockinette stitch after blocking, measured on US Size 6 needles. Achieving proper gauge is critical for the shawl to reach its intended finished dimensions of 30 inches center back length and 58-inch wingspan.

Pattern Structure and Finishing

The shawl pattern repeats a 20-row sequence eight times during the main body construction, building from 7 initial stitches to 327 stitches. A vertical lace section worked in Pewter follows, adding 24 additional stitches before binding off. The pattern includes specific instructions for a stretchy bind-off method to maintain elasticity at the shawl's edges. Finishing involves wet blocking to precise measurements and weaving in all yarn