CYRCUS LACE SHAWL
FREE KNITTING PATTERN
A beautiful and delicate lace shawl with decorative edging. This shawl is perfect for a wedding or simply for everyday use. It is based on traditional Estonial designs of Haapsalu shawls. Estonian traditional shawls can be rectangular, square or triangular. They are known for their airy designs and beautiful decorative edgings.
Yarn
This shawl can be knitted with different weights of yarn - from cobweb to dk, but I suggest using lace or fine lace weight yarn (approx. 800-1200m/100g) The red shawl shown on the pictures was knitted with merino/angora hand-dyed yarn by Fyberspates (approx. 900m/100g) and 3.5mm needles.
Needles
If you use laceweight yarn I suggest using 3.5 - 4mm needles. You will need both straight and/or circular ones.
Instructions
The body of the shawl is knitted to the desired dimensions, then stitches are picked up from all edges and the decorative edging is worked along each side.
Body
Cast on very loosely 81 stitches.
Work 3 rows in garter stitch (knit all rows). To create an easy edge for picking up stitches, the first stitch
of every row should be slipped purl-wise. Starting with a RS row, work the body pattern until you
reach desired length of the shawl.
All WS rows are sl1, k1, p77, k2.
Row1: sl1, k6, (yo, skk, k5) x10, yo, ssk, k2
Row3: sl1, k4, k2tog, (yo, k1, yo, ssk, k2, k2tog) x10, yo, k4
Row5: sl1, k3, k2tog, (yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2tog) x10, yo, k5
Row7: sl1, k3, (k2, yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo, k2) x10, k2, yo, ssk, k3
Row9: sl1, k1, k2tog, yo, (ssk, k5, yo) x10, k7
Row11: sl1, k3, yo, (ssk, k2, k2tog, yo, k1, yo) x10, ssk, k5
Row13: sl1, k4, yo, (ssk, k2tog, yo, k3, yo) x10, ssk, k4
Row15: sl1, k2, k2tog, yo, k1, (k3, yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo, k1) x10, k5
Row16: sl1, k1, p77, k2
Repeat rows 1-16 untill you reach the desired length. The edging is designed the way it will fit all shawl lengths.
When the body part reaches the desired length, work 3 rows in garter stitch. Do not bind off.
Edging
With the circular needles, start picking up stitches along each side of the shawl.
For the first 3 side stitches from the long side, pick up 2 new stitches per each (6 in total). Then pick one new stitch per each side stitch until you reach last 4 stitches for which you again have to pick up 2 stitches.
Now continue picking up stitches from the short side - 2 new stitches for each of the first 3 and the last 4 side stitches - 1 stitch for the side stitches between.
Do the same for the following long side.
When you reach the live stitches of the last side, (make 1, k1) for the first 3 stitches, knit until you reach the last 4 stitches, (make 1, k1) for each of them.
Cast on 13 stitches, purl them back towards the body, the last stitch of the edging should be knitted as p2tog with the first stitch from the side of the body.
Now begin to work the edging’s pattern stitches as shown on the chart below, or follow the written instructions ALONG all the sides of the shawl. Gradually, all the stitches picked up along sides will be used as the edging is worked along.
Row1 sl1, k2, yo, k2tog, k1, yo twice, k2tog, k5 (14sts in total)
Row2 sl1, p5, k1, p4, yo, p2tog, p2tog with the 1st of the side stitches
Row3 sl1, k2, yo, k2tog, k9 (14sts in total)
Row4 sl1, p10, yo, p2tog, p2tog with the 1st of the side stitches
Row5 sl1, k2, yo, k2tog, k1, yo twice, k2tog, yo twice, k2tog, k4 (16sts in total)
Row6 sl1, p4, k1, p2, k1, p4, yo, p2tog, p2tog with the 1st of the side stitches
Row7 sl1, k2, yo, k2tog, k11
Row8 bind off loosely 3 sts, p9, yo, p2tog, p2tog with the 1st of the side stitches (13sts in total)
When you finish working all border stitches, loosely cast off stitches, leaving 20cm tail.
When you finish knitting your shawl, place it for 30 minutes in a lukewarm water with a bit of soap. Gently squeeze the shawl to remove the exceeding water (you can wrap in into a towel and step on it a couple of times). Stretch the shawl over a bed or carpet and block it using pins. When it’s completely dry, sew the cast-on/cast-off sides of the edging together.
35 comments:
This is one of the prettiest shawls I've ever seen! Thank you for sharing the pattern.
Yes, very beautiful.
In the PDF version of the pattern, after casting on, it states to work 3 rows in stockinette (knit all rows). The html version of the pattern has "work 3 rows in garter (knit all rows). Then, after reaching the desired length, it states "work 3 rows in stockinette stitch". Is it supposed to be garter at the beginning and stockinette at the end? I have only just begun and had assumed the first three rows were garter. I want to make sure before I go any further. Thanks! Melinda
Yes, it should say garter instead of stockinette.. my mistake!!
What does the semi circle symbol on the first three stitches of row 8 of the edging mean?
Thanks, Julia.
The semi-circle symbol is for binding off 1 stitch, so in that case, you bind off loosely first 3 stitches of the 8th row.
Help!!!! I have picked up all the stitches, done the "live" stitches, but don't understand about the casting on and purling back. I am not sure if you cast on at the end of the circular needles (after the "live" stitches" or if you go to the first picked up stitch and cast on there. Is the edging starting at the first picked up stitches or at the last? I hope you understand this and thanks for any help you can give.
Rosemary
After you pick up all the stitches, including the "live" stitches, you have to cast on additional 13 stitches (the width of the edging) at the end of the stitches you already have on the needle and then turn, purl 12 stitches, p2tog the remaining 1 stitch of the edging's 13 stitches with the first stitch on the needle that comes from picking the stitches along the edges. The p2tog point is where the edging will be attached to the shawl.
I hope this helps!
How many yards of lace weight yarn did you use for this shawl?
Hello, and thank for this lovely pattern. I have a question about skk in row 1. Should that be ssk? If not, please explain how to do a skk. Thanks and I look forward to making this shawl for my grandmother.
What a lovely person to share so freely your talented designs!! This shawl is exquisite and I can't wait to begin it. I love the colour, the delicate lace - I just love it all.
Happy Easter to everyone out there, but especially all the talented designers who share with the rest of us.
I have a question for the edging. I may be doing this wrong but I picked up all the stitches on circular needles, so I'm assuming, we are knitting in circle, but edging chart on even rows are purls. Am I not supposed to work each row as the correct side (knitting in round)? Please help!
Can someone tell me how many skeins of 1312yards each will I need to knit this shawl? Tankyou very much.
Where is Madeline? We need her. I've not yet started this shawl, but I intend to make it and have been studying it. I believe that this border is to be worked flat (back and forth) on the 13 sts that were cast on after picking up the live stitches. The rows will be attached to the side sts on the body with p2tog (similar to knitting and attaching an I-cord border). You will not be working in the round, and it will be a very long time until you have worked all the picked-up stitches. Finally, you are to sew the 13 cast-on stitches to the 13 bound-off ones.
That was my question too! I hope someone who knows will please answer.
This should say "ssk."
This reply does not answer the question. The knit and purl rows of the edging are reversed in relation to the body of the shawl. PLEASE help.
This reply does not answer the question. The knit and purl rows of the edging are reversed in relation to the body of the shawl. PLEASE help.
This is a beautiful pattern, and although I'm a fairly new knitter I just have to try it!
I have a question about Row 1 of the body. The pattern states to
repeat this portion, "yo, ssk, k5" x10. With casting on 81 stitches, I was only able to repeat 7 times before running out of stitches. What could I be doing wrong??
Thanks!
Hmm, not sure but make sure you are doing the ssk correctly. You're stitch count should not change between the yo an ssk, because you are adding one (yo) and the subtracting one (ssk) knit 5, then repeat.
I believe my reply did answer Motomi's question. She was wondering whether the edging was worked in the round.
As to Unknown's comment re the knit and purl rows being reversed in relation to the body: This didn't happen with my shawl. Did you knit the three garter-stitch rows following Row 16 of the body?
I consider myself a very experienced knitter, but how to start the edging totally eluded me. I am commenting to possibly save someone all the knitting and ripping I did to finally figure out what would work. I finished the body pattern and then proceeded to knit 3 garter rows. That left me with the wrong side facing. My live stitches were already on a circular needle although I had worked it back and forth like straight needles to this point. I picked up stitches from the body edges adding the extra stitches in each corner as the instructions indicated. My circular needle was totally full of stitches now. All good. Then I cast on the 13 stitches. That's where I needed more direction. First I cast on the new stitches on the left needle (used thumb casting on method). Following the edging pattern gave a twisted result. Then I tried casting on the stitches on the right needle. Edging was still not right. Tried many different ways to get this edging to work. Somehow figured this out: With wrong side still facing, cast on the 13 stitches on the left needle. Work to purl back using a SEPARATE STRAIGHT needle ( I used a double pointed needle for the ease of its short length). "Let go" of right(circular) needle as you will not be using it anymore (I wrapped a rubber band around tip so stitches would not slip off). Now just follow the edging pattern down the side of the shawl with left circular needle and separate straight needle. Using a separate needle allows you to knit freely around picking up the stitches still on the circular needle to purl together and attach this new knitted edge. Hope this helps someone else!
Yes thank you. Had to figure that one out too.
Thank you, just starting this beautiful shawl for my daughter's wedding in December this year. The first hurdle was figuring out skk meant ssk!!
Hi there. You will notice that the additional stitches you need to make here is meant for the rounding of the corners ie instead of 3 stitches you'll need 6 to go around the corner.
I too am so confused about the edging. I picked up all stitches around. Now are the added 13 stitches the border worked separately while the body is just hanging out on the circular needle? I’m sooo confused! Please help!
Thanks! This is my second one and I’m up to the lace. Remembering that you were my only salvation, I found you again! A million thank you’s!!!💕💕
I only have one skein (880 yds) of laceweight yarn - which, theoretically, could be sufficient - and cannot buy any more. However, in order to do this, it would be nice to know either how long the designer made the shawl and/or how much yarn I should allow for the edging (I realize this depends on the length of the shawl, I am not looking for exact measurements, here)
Hi
I have the same problem... did you ever figured it out?
Very pretty ! thanks for this pattern (that I just discovered thanks to Pinterest) :)
I am facing a similar dilemma. Did you complete the shawl? How much yarn should I allow for the edging? How long did you make the body of the shawl?
what are the dimensions of the finished shawl
Need some help. Just started. Did two repeats of the body pattern and my work is curling on the sides perpendicular to the needle. Is this normal? And will it stop when I add a border?
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