This is my 300th post on this blog! I am very excited to still be writing the blog, and happy that people keep reading it.
To celebrate my 300th post, I designed and knit a beautiful, colourful shawl and have posted the pattern here for you.
I had three goals in mind with this pattern:
- It had to be in garter stitch. (Mindless knitting, yeah!)
- It had to use yarn already in my stash. (Limited funds, boo!)
- It had to match my COOL BOOTS! (Cool boots, yeah!)
(The boots are from Camper.)
Here is a photo of it laid flat:
I love this shawl. It is a deceptively simple pattern, composed of long, thin triangles, but once it’s off the needles it has fabulous drape and the colour pops!
Please enjoy the pattern.
Cool Boots: a shawl pattern by Kelly Sloan
The shawl is knit lengthwise in garter stitch, with six very long triangles formed with short rows. Please read the pattern through before knitting, particularly the Notes at the end. You should review the instructions for German short rows in garter stitch (which you can find in this post on the blog).
Size: Approximately 18” x 70”
Yarn: Fingering weight wool in three colours; approximately 70 grams (350 meters/383 yards) of each colour. For this shawl I used Tvinni Tweed by Isager in shades 17S, 28S, and 32S. These are 100% wool tweed yarns in shades of red, coral and fuchsia, with a grey tweed undertone.
Needles: US 4 (for the shawl); US 6 (for casting on and binding off)
Gauge: 24 stitches and 48 rows (24 garter ridges); very lightly blocked.
When I took the shawl off the needles, it measured 16.5″ x 64″. I very lightly wet blocked it to 18″ x 70″.
Directions.
With Colour A and US 6 needles, cast on 380 stitches.
Switch to US 4 needles.
Triangle 1:
Row 1 (RS) – knit 2 rows. (You will have one garter ridge on RS of work).
Row 3 (RS) – knit to 12 stitches from end, turn work.
Row 4 (WS) and each remaining (WS) row – slip first st as if to purl, pull yarn to the back, knit across all remaining stitches (you have thus performed a German short row; see Notes).
Row 5 and RS rows: Knit until 12 stitches from the last German short row (indicated by the “double stitch”), turn work.
Continue until 18 stitches remain before the last German short row. (This number could vary depending on how you count your short rows. Continue until you have between 12 and 24 stitches before last short row.)
Next row (RS) – knit all the way across, knitting each ‘double stitch’ together as one stitch. (See Notes for German short row.)
Next row (WS) – knit all stitches
You should now have two garter ridges at the narrowest edge of the triangle with the right side facing you. At the wide edge, you should have 32 garter ridges (note that this number is not important, but it should be the same for each triangle.)
Triangle 2:
Change to Colour B. Knit 3 rows, ending with a RS row. You should have one garter ridge with Colour B with the right side facing.
Row 4 (WS) – Knit to 12 stitches from end, turn work.
Row 5 (RS) and each remaining (RS) row – slip first st as if to purl, pull yarn to the back, knit across all remaining stitches (you have thus performed a German short row; see Notes)
Row 6 and WS rows: Knit until 12 stitches from the last German short row (indicated by the “double stitch”), turn work.
Continue until 18 stitches remain before last short row (or same number of stitches as for last triangle).
Next row (WS): knit across all stitches, knitting each ‘double stitch’ together as one stitch.
You should now have two garter ridges at the narrowest part of triangle 2, when viewed from the right side.
Repeat these instructions twice more, thus making a total of 6 triangles, changing colours as indicated in the chart.
With RS facing, and using a US6 needle, cast off all stitches.
Finishing: Weave in ends. Wash and block lightly.
Notes
Note 1. Weigh your yarn. At the end of the first triangle, weigh remaining yarn of Colour A. You will need enough yarn for two triangles in each of the three shades.
Note 2. In the beginning, mark the right side (RS) of work with a removable stitch marker.
Note 3. All colour changes are made at the beginning of a RS row.
Note 4. The narrow edge of each triangle has two garter ridges. The first of these is made before you begin the short rows; the second garter ridge is made at the end of the triangle, after the short rows, when you knit across all of the stitches.
Note 5. On the first, third and fifth triangle, the short rows are made (the work is turned before the end of the row) on the RS rows; on the second, fourth, and sixth triangles, the short rows are made on the WS rows.
Note 6. There is a photo tutorial of how to do German Short Rows in garter stitch on my blog. You can find it in this post. This is by far the easiest way to make short rows in garter stitch, and should not leave any holes in your work.
Note 7. Put a removable stitch marker into the ‘double stitch’ formed by the German short row. After each short row, you can move the marker, so it always marks the last short row knitted. This makes it easier to know when to turn on the next turn row.
Note 8. When counting the 12 stitches between short rows, I counted the ‘double stitch’ from the previous short row as stitch number 1. This is illustrated here:
Note 9. You can make the shawl shorter or longer by casting on fewer or more stitches, respectively. You can change the width of the shawl by increasing or decreasing the number of stitches between each short row (the more stitches between short rows the “narrower” the triangle will be).
That seems like a lot of Notes, but the pattern is very intuitive and easy peasy. Please enjoy!
This shawl has not been test knitted. If you find any mistakes, or have trouble understanding any part of it, please let me know. You can leave a question on the blog, or you can write to me on Ravelry (my Rav name is kellydawn).
A final note: Please respect my copyright. Do not reproduce or publish any part of this pattern without my permission.
This is really pretty. Any chance you could give us a picture of it flat so we can see the full pattern? Thanks!
Arlene, what a sensible suggestion! I have edited the post to add a photo of it laid flat. I had to balance on a chair in the back garden to take it, thus violating all of the rules of health and safety!
Thanks!! While it is lovely draped, this picture really tells what is all about! Glad you survived the photo shoot. And, in my quest to see the full wrap, I neglected to congratulate you on your achievement of 300 posts. Especially since you did that while working, achieving another advanced degree, being a wife and mother all at the same time!! Yarn really is the best escape.
Gorgeous, Kelly! I’m thinking of using three skeins of Wollmeise Pure for it, one of them variegated. The triangle design would stop it pooling and could look effective, I think. Thanks for posting it, although reading your blog is its own reward!
Thank you, Tricia. I hope it works out: I look forward to seeing the finished project.
It looks soooo good. And you too!! Well done and congratulations on your 300 post! <3 🙂
Thank you so much! And thanks for reading the blog!
Thank you for the lovely pattern! (Gorgeous boots, you are right about that!)
Linda Cornell Marin County, California
Hi Linda, Thank you for commenting. Enjoy the pattern!
It’s beautiful, and while I don’t always comment on your posts, my heart always pitter patter when you have posted, and your updates are always the first I read!
Susan, you are so sweet. It is nice to get such kind words from such a fantastic knitter!
I too become quite excited when you show up in my in box. You are a wonderful writer and I congratulate you on your 300th post. Your design is beautiful, such happy colors ( and the boots deserved a matching accessory), and so many possibilities. Thank you so much.
Leigh, thank you. It is nice to know that people enjoy reading the blog.
This is fabulous – such vibrant colours. Just beautiful. Thank you.
Thank you, Joy. Enjoy the pattern!
Nice shawl. Congrats on your 300th post!
Thank you. It’s hard to believe that I’ve written 300 of these!
And I’m so glad you are continuing to write this blog. I always look forward to reading it. It amazes me how busy you are, but th
Thank you, Cheri. It makes me happy that people enjoy reading it. (You appear to be busy, too, as the end of your comment got lost 🙂 ).
Gorgeous Kelly! You, the shawl, and the boots! This might be something even I can make !
Thank you, Romi! Luckily, Doug always makes me look good in the photos. (And you don’t see the ones that get rejected!)
Happy 300th! Very bright and cheery shawl. And it goes with the boots so well! And I, too, love when a new post from you shows up in my inbox. (On a grammar note I’m not sure about the commas in that last sentence)
I’m in agreement with your comma placement. Thanks a lot, Jossie! I’m glad that you are enjoying the blog.
Beautiful shawl, fantastic colours. I am very tempted especially because it is garter stitch and could be a very relaxing knit… Love the boots too. Congratulations on reaching 300!
Thank you very much, Helen. Sometimes only garter will do….
Congratulations on 300 posts!! Your shawl is beautiful (& your boots are too)!!
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