Mystery shawl 2011

by Mia Dehmer Measurements: ?? Materials: VickeVira handspun single thread shawl yarn, 110gr abt 350-400m. Weight and meterage of the yarn is not important, but will effect the size of your shawl. Needle size: US 6 - 4.0 mm (or needles suitable to your yarn). Gauge: Star pattern 10cm = 28 stitches. The gauge is not important, but the size of the shawl and the amount of yarn needed will differ if gauge is not the same. Before measuring the gauge, block your swatch and allow to dry and relax. VickeVira handspun yarns: http://www.etsy.com/shop/VickeVira Part one, cast on and setup Cast on 10 sts. Knit 17 rows following the Cable chart below. Along the left side of the work pick up 8 sts (between edge stitch and next, pick up 1 in each second row), and along the cast-on side pick up 10 sts = 28 sts. Set up row (WS): k1, p1, k1, p4, k1, p3, k1, p4, k1, p3, k1, p4, k1, p1, k1.

Part two, cables and estonian stars: You will now work three cables and estonian stars. Seen from RS of your work and in the order parts will be knitted: 1. Knit cable acc to Cable chart but without the last edge stitch. C1 = 9 sts

2. Knit estonian star pattern. 3. Knit cable acc to Cable chart but without both edge stitches. C2 = 8 sts 4. Knit estonian star pattern. 5. Knit cable acc to Cable chart but without the first edge stitch. C3 = 9 {In the body of the shawl it is easier to use the Cable Chart without the edge stitches (black out the edge stitches and use the 8 center stitches as the chart). You will automatically knit 1 st at the beginning and end of every row throughout the pattern (garter stitch). I find it helpful to place markers to denote those edge stitches and the cable chart stitches.} Seen from RS of your work and in the order parts will be knitted: 1. Knit cable acc to Cable chart but without the last edge stitch. C1 = 9 sts 2. Knit estonian star pattern. 3. Knit cable acc to Cable chart but without both edge stitches. C2 = 8 sts 4. Knit estonian star pattern. 5. Knit cable acc to Cable chart but without the first edge stitch. C3 = 9 sts. When you start knitting part2 of the pattern, the first row knitted is row3 of the cable chart on the two cables at the beginning and the end of the knitting. However, technically the middle cable is only on row1 To make the knitting a bit easier you can start also the middle cable on row3 of the chart - this way all three cables will be twisted on the same row. {I like the look of the twist of the cable emerging from the neckband, so I prefer to start the middle cable on row 3 of the chart.} 1to3 stitch: k1 in the next st, without dropping the st from the left needle, yo and k1 in back loop of the stitch. 1 st increased to 3 sts. { K1 tbl, yo, k1 tbl makes a nice round lace hole with symmetrical rays} 3to3 stitch: k3tog without dropping the sts from the left needle, yo, knit same 3 sts together and drop the sts from left needle. Number of sts has not changed. {Once you get enough stitches in the star sections, place markers ever 10 stitches. C= work Cable Chart} Row 1: C1, 1to3, C2, 1to3, C3. {32 total st /3 estonian star st per side} Row 2 and every WS row: C3, purl to next cable, C2, purl to last cable, C1. Row 3: C1, 1to3, k1, 1to3, C2, 1to3, k1, 1to3, C3. {40 /7 st} Row 5: C1, 1to3, k1, 3to3, k1, 1to3, C2, 1to3, k1, 3to3, k1, 1to3, C3. {48 /11 st} Row 7 and every RS row: C1, 1to3, *k1, 3to3* until 2 sts left before next cable, k1, 1to3, C2, 1to3, *k1, 3to3* until 2 sts left to next cable, k1, 1to3, C3. {56 / 15 st}
3-into-3 starstitch, but the pattern is not mirrored on each side of the spine. On the right side of the shawl, instead of working the stitch into a k3tog, I worked it into the back loop of an SSSK. To the left of the centre stitch I worked the stitch as described by the pattern.

Continue knitting cables and star pattern until 75 sts on each part of the estonian stars pattern, and last row knitted is a WS row. Together with the cables 9+8+9 sts there are now in total 176 sts. {Stitch counts= 64/19, 72/23, 80/27, 84/31, 96/35, 104/39, 112/43, 126/47, 128/51, 132/55, 144/59, 152/63, 166/67, 168/71, 176/75}

If you have more yarn than advised for this shawl, you can choose to continue knitting this part of the shawl. The next parts are not dependent on the number of sts of your work. Part three, cables and eyelet row: {My yos looked very loose & sloppy next to the neat increases made at the edges of the Estonian Star pattern, so I devised what I am calling a Star Single Increase to simulate that look. It duplicates the way the decreased stitches lay upon each other in the Star pattern. Since the Star pattern increased 2 stitches on both edges between the cables (a net increase of 4 stitches/side & 8 stitches/row), and the subsequent pattern sections increase only 1 stitch on both edges between the cables (net inc of 2 stitches/side & 4 stitches/row), my method of using 1to3 increases on both edges between the cables on RS rows requires single decreases on each of those edges on WS rows. Thus I have totally revised this part of the pattern. It includes an unusual maneuver I am calling ssstp. I dont know if this terminaology is in use for another stitch definition, nor do I know if have invented or unvented this stitch and/or the Star Single Increase.} Row 1: C1, yo, knit to next cable, yo, C2, yo, knit to next cable, yo, C3 Row 2: C3, purl to next cable, C2, purl to next cable, C1 Row 3: C1, yo, knit to next cable, yo, C2, yo, knit to next cable, yo, C3 Row 4: C3, knit to next cable, C2, knit to next cable, C1. Row 5: C1, yo, *k2tog, yo* repeat to 1 sts left to next cable, k1, yo, C2, yo, k1, yo, *k2tog, yo* repeat to next cable, C3 Row 6: C3, knit to next cable, C2, knit to next cable, C1 Row 7: C1, yo, knit to next cable, yo, C2, yo, knit to next cable, yo, C3 Row 8: C3, purl to next cable, C2, purl to next cable, C1 {ssstp:Sl 2 sts k-wise, 1 at a time Slip them together back to the LH needle, inserting LH needle from right to left to twist (the sts will be twisted in such a way that they almost appear to be a single strand of yarn) Purl the 2 st tog Row 1: C, 1to3, knit to 1 st before next cable, 1to3, C, 1to3, knit to 1 st before next cable, 1to3 (79 st per side without cables) Row 2: C, p2, p2tog, p to 4 st before next cable, sssp, p2, C, p2, p2tog, p to 4 st before next cable, sssp. P2, C. (77 st) Row 3: C, 1to3, knit to 1 st before next cable, 1to3, C, 1to3, knit to 1 st before next cable, 1to3 (81 st) Row 4: C, p2, p2tog, k to 4 st before next cable, sssp, p2, C, p2, p2tog, k to 4 st before next cable, sssp. P2, C. (79 st) Row 5: C, 1to3, yo, *k2tog, yo, rep from * to last 4 st before cable, k3tog, yo, 1to3, C, 1to3, yo, sk2togpsso, yo *ssk, yo, rep from * to 1 st before cable, 1to3, C. (83 st) Row 6: Rep Row 4. (81 st) Row 7: C, 1to3, knit to 1 st before next cable, 1to3, C, 1to3, knit to 1 st before next cable, 1to3 (85 st) Row 8: Rep Row 2 (83 st) } Part four, cables and waves pattern: When working the waves pattern, don't worry if the number of stitches of the chart do not even up at the end of the row. With the yarn overs beside the cables, the number of stitches will increase on every second row. The new stitches are added sideways to the pattern chart. Row 1: C1, yo, k1, work Wave chart, k1, yo, C2, yo, k1, work Wave chart, k1, yo, C3. Row 2: C3, purl to next cable, C2, purl to next cable, C1.

Repeat these rows until you have worked the 6 rows of the Wave chart 10 times. If you have doubt your yarn will not be enough for 10 times, you can work the Wave chart 8 or 9 times and still have a very beautiful shawl. And, if you have lots of yarn you can continue knitting more than 10 times of the Wave chart to have a larger shawl. Just make sure you have enough yarn left for the edging (part five, below). {I have charted the Wave portion of the Cable & Waves Pattern to include the Star Single Increases and to make the sides mirror each other. On each row, the sequence is worked as follows: 1. Cable Chart 2. Right Wave Chart 3. Cable Chart 4. Left Wave Chart 5. Cable Cart

I repeated the 12 rows of the Wave Charts only 4x because I added a wide Cable & Lace Edging (30 rows). The Wave Chart can be repeated more times if you would like a larger shawl.} Part 5, Picot edging: You will now from the RS work a picot cast off, which is worked over all stitches. If you do not want to work the picots, you can bind off loose without them. Bind off 2 sts, *slip the remaining stitch from right needle back to left, knit cast on 2 sts, bind off 6 sts*. Repeat from * to * until all stitches are made. Try to cast off the 2 sts of the picot quite normal, and the other 4 sts loose. Part 5, Cable & Lace Edging Work the Cable & Lace Edging Chart one time. On each row, the sequence is worked as follows: 1. Cable Chart 2. Right Edging Chart 3. Cable Chart 4. Left Edging Chart 5. Cable Chart

Bind off with stretchy bind-off. Depending on your tension and taste, you could increase a needle size for more stretch and deeper scallops along the edge. I used the Russian Bind-off, which some regard as the stretchiest. Purl 2, pass those 2 back to LH needle, then purl them tog (1 st on RH needle) Purl 1, pass the 2 sts back to LH needle, purl them tog. Repeat until all stitches are bound off. } Finish by cutting the yarn and weave in loose ends. Block your shawl and pin it out on flat surface to dry.