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IntermediateFree Shawl Knitting Pattern
This fun shawl features an eye-catching abstract pattern that combines two-color Brioche and two-color garter stitch. This shawl is soft, cozy and perfect for any occasion. I recommend it for knitters with some Brioche experience.
Skills required:
To knit this shawl, you have to know how to knit 2-color garter stitch, 2-color brioche stitch, and make brioche increases.
Size: width 86” (215 cm), depth 31” (78 cm)
Materials: Kauni (affiliate link) (affiliate link) 8/2 Effektgarn 100% Wool sport weight yarn 440 yd (400 m)/100g, color Lilac – 2 skeins. (DC)
Kauni (affiliate link) (affiliate link) Wool 8/2 Solids sport weight yarn, 660 yards (604 meters) /150 gr, color Natural – 1.3 skeins (LC)
Notions: stitch markers, yarn/tapestry needle.
Needles: US 2 (2.75 mm) circular needles 24” (60 cm) or longer.
Gauge:
22 sts x 44 rows = 4" x 4" (10cm x 10cm) In 2-color garter st:
22 sts x 22 rows = 4" x 4" (10cm x 10cm) In 2-color brioche st:
Note, that 1 row of brioche consists of 1 row of light color yarn (LC) and 1 row of dark color yarn (DC)
Abbreviations
Please note that I use Nancy Marchant terminology for brioche stitch. I highly recommend her books Knitting Brioche: The Essential Guide to the Brioche Stitch and Knitting Fresh Brioche: Creating Two-Color Twists & Turns, as well as her lessons on craftsy.com.
yf - yarn forward: bring the yarn to the front, between the tips of the needles.
yb - yarn back: take the yarn to the back, between the tips of the needles.
sl1yof - slip 1, yarn over, yarn to front: with working yarn in front, slip the next stitch purlwise, then bring the yarn over the needle and the slipped stitch, then bring yarn back around to the front, ready to purl the following stitch.
yfsl1yo - yarn forward, slip 1, yarn over: bring the working yarn between the tips of the needles to front of work, slip the next stitch purlwise, then bring the yarn over the needle and the slipped stitch. Leave yarn in back, ready to knit the next stitch.
brk - brioche knit: knit the stitch together with its accompanying yarnover
brp - brioche purl: purl the stitch together with its accompanying yarnover
brkyobrk – [brk1, yo, brk1] in the same stitch. 2 stitches are increased.
br4st-inc – brk1, yo, brk1, yo, brk1 into the same stitch: 1 stitch increased to five.
LS – light side
DS – dark side
LC – light color
DC- dark color
pm – place marker
sm – slip marker
rm – remove marker
k – knit
p – purl
sl1 – slip 1 (knitwise for the 1st stitch in a row).
m 1 (Make 1 increase) - Make a backward loop over the right-hand needle.
work as est. - work as established
Pattern Notes
Two-Color Brioche Stitch – Basic Instructions
These instructions are included as a guide to the technique, and as instructions for swatching.
A single brioche row is worked in two passes, one in light color (LC) and the other in dark color (DC). Both colors are worked in one direction, then the work is turned and both colors are worked in the other direction, one by one. The light side (LS) of the project is first worked in light color (LC) yarn, then in dark color (DC) yarn. The LS of the work is where brioche knit (brk) stitches are worked in light color (LC) yarn.
Odd number of stitches
Set-up row (LC): k1, *sl1yof, p1, rep from *, to last 2 sts, sl1yof, p1. Do not turn, slide work to the other end of the needle.
Set-up row (DC): sl1, yb, *brk1, yfsl1yo, repeat from * to last 2 sts, brk1, yb, sl last st. Turn.
Row 1 (LS, LC): k1, *yfsl1yo, brk1, repeat from * to last 2 sts, yfsl1yo, k1. Do not turn, slide work to the other end of the needle.
Row 1 (LS, DC): sl1, yf, *brp1, sl1yof, repeat from * to last 2 sts, brp1, yb, slip last st. Turn.
Row 2 (DS, LC): p1, *sl1yof, brp1, repeat from * to last 2 sts, sl1yof, p1. DO not turn, slide work to the other end of the needle.
Row 2 (DS, DC): sl1, yb, *brk1, yfsl1yo, repeat from * to last 2 sts, brk1, yf, sl last st. Turn.
Two-Color Garter Stitch
These are included as a guide to the technique, and as instructions for swatching.
Row 1 (LS LC): purl. Do not turn, slide work to the other end of the needle.
Row 1 (LS DC): knit. Turn.
Row 2 (DS LC): knit. Do not turn, slide work to the other end of the needle.
Row 2 (DS DC): purl. Turn.
Chain Selvedge
When working the selvedge stitches at the beginning and the end of the row, at the start of the LC rows, always bring LC under the DC.
Short Overview of the pattern
The shawl is worked top down with a series of 4-st-increases in the center of the working piece in every 4th row and 2-st-increases at the beginning and the end of each LS row in every 2nd row until the required width. Appr. 13.5’ (34 cm) from the beginning some brioche stitches are being replaced with 2-color garter st pattern in a step pattern (each next garter stitch stripe begins every 8th row). The garter stripes are symmetrical to the central stitch of the shawl. The bottom edge of the shawl is finished with stockinette st.
Shawl
Using 2 strands of yarn (LC and DC), cast on 7 sts.
Row SR (DS, LC): P2, yf sl1yo, p1, yf sl1yo, p2. (7 sts)
Row SR (DS, DC): P1, (yf sl1yo, brk) × 2, yf sl1yo, p1.
Row 1 (LS, LC): Sl, brkyobrk, yf sl1yo, br4st inc, yf sl1yo, brkyobrk, p1. (15 sts)
Row 1 (LS, DC): Sl, (yf sl1yo, p1, yf sl1yo, k1, yf sl1yo, p1) × 2, yf sl1yo, p1.
Row 2 (DS, LC): Sl, (brp, yf sl1yo) × 6, brp, p1.
Row 2 (DS, DC): Sl, (yf sl1yo, brk) × 6, yf sl1yo, p1.
Row 3 (LS, LC): Sl, brkyobrk, (yf sl1yo, brk) × 5, yf sl1yo, brkyobrk, p1. (19 sts)
Row 3 (LS, DC): Sl, yf sl1yo, p1, (yf sl1yo, brp) × 6, (yf sl1yo, p1) × 2.
Row 4 (DS, LC): Sl, (brp, yf sl1yo) × 8, brp, p1.
Row 4 (DS, DC): Sl, (yf sl1yo, brk) × 8, yf sl1yo, p1.
Row 5 (LS, LC): Sl, brkyobrk, (yf sl1yo, brk) × 3, yf sl1yo, br4st inc, (yf sl1yo, brk) × 3, yf sl1yo, brkyobrk, p1. (27 sts)
Row 5 (LS, DC): Sl, (yf sl1yo, p1, (yf sl1yo, brp) × 4, yf sl1yo, p1) × 2, yf sl1yo, p1.
Row 6 (DS, LC): Sl, (brp, yf sl1yo) × 12, brp, p1.
Row 6 (DS, DC): Sl, (yf sl1yo, brk) × 12, yf sl1yo, p1.
Row 7 (LS, LC): Sl, brkyobrk, (yf sl1yo, brk) × 11, yf sl1yo, brkyobrk, p1. (31 sts)
Row 7 (LS, DC): Sl, yf sl1yo, p1, (yf sl1yo, brp) × 12, (yf sl1yo, p1) × 2.
Row 8 (DS, LC): Sl, (brp, yf sl1yo) × 14, brp, p1.
Row 8 (DS, DC): Sl, (yf sl1yo, brk) × 14, yf sl1yo, p1.
Row 9 (LS, LC): Sl, brkyobrk, work as est to the central st, br4st inc, work as est to last 2 sts, brkyobrk, p1. (27 sts)
Row 9 (LS, DC): Sl, yf sl1yo, p1, yf sl1yo, work as est to 2 sts before central st, yf sl1yo, (p1, yf sl1yo) x 2, work as est to last 4 sts, yf sl1yo, p1, yf sl1yo, p1.
Row 10 (DS, LC): work as est
Row 10 (DS, DC): work as est.
Row 11 (LS, LC): Sl, brkyobrk, work as est to last 2 sts, brkyobrk, p1. (31 sts)
Row 11 (LS, DC): Sl, yf sl1yo, p1, yf sl1yo, work as est to last 4 sts, yf sl1yo, p1, yf sl1yo, p1.
Row 12 (DS, LC): work as est.
Row 12 (DS, DC): work as est.
Repeat rows 9-12 (both LC and DC) fourteen (14) more times.
Row 65: work as established to 23 sts before the central sts of the shawl. The last worked st should be brk. Work next 11 sts in 2-color garter st (see instruction above), work next 12 sts as est, work the central st as est (br4st-inc), work next 12 sts as est, work next 11 sts in 2-color garter st, work as est to the end of the row.
Work as est for 8 rows (both LC and DC).
Row 73: work as established to 20 sts before the garter sts stripe, work 11 sts in 2-color garter st, work as est to 9 sts after the second garter stripe, work 11 sts in 2-color garter sts, work as est to the end of the row.
Work as est for 8 rows (both LC and DC).
Repeat rows 73-80 five (5) more times adding 5 more garter stripes on both sides of the center of the shawl.
Work as est for 30 rows (both LC and DC).
With DC yarn work 8 rows in stockinette st without increases.
Bind off.
Finishing
Block.
