Our latest Patons Stitch Style is a beautiful and lacey knit shawl that’s a great summer accessory. Knit in Patons Grace this 100% mercerized cotton yarn has a subtle sheen and beautiful drape. Making this shawl easy to wear over a cute summer dress or casually with a pair of jeans. The Inspiration The inspiration behind the lace knitting motif found in this shawl comes from abstract graceful lines, depicted in art-nouveau. Unlike some lace knitting patterns, especially shawls, this lace knit pattern does not have a distinct floral or leaf motif. Art Nouveau drew inspiration from both geometric and organic shapes, with highly detailed linework to create elegant and modern designs. This style lends itself perfectly to the Pastoral Lace Knit Shawl, making it graceful and delicate enough to dress it up and modern enough to wear casually. The versatility and wear of this shawl is something our knitwear and crochet designers here at Yarnspirations strive for when creating our free knit and crochet patterns. Which is why the Pastoral Lace Knit Shawl wears beautifully when knit in Patons Grace, the subtle sheen of this 100% mercerized cotton and its stitch definition really show off the intricate art-nouveau inspired lace knitting motif. The Lace Knitting Pattern The Pastoral Lace Knit Shawl is a free knitting pattern that’s best suited for knitters who are at an intermediate skill level, as this includes a lace knit chart to follow and some more advanced knitting decreases. While most knitters who’ve worked with charts will be familiar with square charts. This lace knit chart has a shape which mimics the triangular shape of the Pastoral Lace Knit Shawl, this is to accommodate the increases that occur on the right-side rows. Having a chart to work off when following a lace knitting pattern is like having a blueprint which helps you read your lace knitting better and can help you visualize how the combination of stitches work to create an intricate motif. Each square on the chart represents one stitch after it has been knit. When looking at the knitting decreases you will notice that a ssk (slip, slip, knit) and a k2tog (knit 2 together) represent two ‘unworked stitches’ while a Sl2k (slip next 2 stitches knitwise), K1 (knit 1) and P2sso (pass 2 slipped stitches over) is a specific decrease which creates three ‘unworked stitches’. While these decrease techniques involve more than one stitch it’s important to note that on the chart these decreases result in one single stitch after they have been worked. Knitting Technique - Central Double Decrease An important knitting technique to note in this pattern is the Sl 2k. K1. P2sso, known as the central double decrease. The central double decrease works to eliminate two stitches symmetrical, hence the name of this decrease. This decrease creates a strong vertical decrease that doesn’t slant to the left or right like the way a k2tog (knit 2 together) or a ssk (slip, slip, knit) decrease would. It’s a perfect stitch decrease for a lace knitting pattern such as this one, which works to incorporate organic and geometric linework. Keeping track of your knitting Knitting a lace pattern can prove challenging when it comes to managing and keeping track of your rows. Using a stitch marker to keep track of every stitch repeat can be helpful. However, some people use lifelines as well, this is simply using a piece of scrap yarn to mark your rows and stitch repeats. It’s also a great alternative to stitch markers if you worry about having to gently remove a stitch marker from your work. If you’re itching to knit the Pastoral Lace Knit Shawl and need some help on how to read knitting patterns, you can watch our video tutorial below! We hope you enjoyed learning some of the intricacies around the Pastoral Lace Knit Shawl. We’d love for you to share your Pastoral Lace Knit Shawl with us, you can share your projects with us on our Facebook page or using #yarnspirations on Instagram. If you’re looking to join a helpful community of knitters and crocheters you can also join our Stitch Squad Facebook Group and subscribe to our YouTube channel for helpful tutorials uploaded every week. Featured Yarns
