Purple Arrow Shawl Pattern

PURPLE ARROW  SHAWL

2 skeins  worsted weight ANTIQUE WHITE
1 skein worsted weight Periwinkle
1 skein worsted weight worsted Navy

Size 11 circular needles (32 inch cable)

(gauge isn’t very important if you are using worsted weight yarn and size 11 needles)

I used Barbara Walker’s lace shawl instruction to begin with 9 stitches. (from her book SAMPLER KNITTING.) There is a simpler method I am posting just below. Choose whichever is easiest for you.

Instructions:

Barbara Walker’s 9 stitch cast on method:

CO 9 stitches.
Row 1) k2, (place marker) yo, k2, yo (place marker), K, (place marker), yo, k2, yo, (place marker) k2
Row 2) knit

Row 3) k2, yo, k4, yo, K, yo, k4, yo, k2
Row 4) knit across

Row 5)k2, yo, k6, yo, K, yo, k6, yo, ks

Row 6) knit across

The center markers surround your center stitch for the entire shawl and keeps you on track. (You can count stitches on each side sporadically to make sure you are increasing evenly.)  Simply slip the markers with your knitting as they come along.

Continue increasing like this for the entire shawl. After 30 rows, follow the color pattern below. I kept going until the my top-line (horizontal) measured about 6 feet long and the vertical was about 3 feet. This seems to make a nice size shawl which can be easily wrapped around the body for warmth and softness, or worn hanging down the front or with one end crossed over and then, tossed over a shoulder.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE SHAWL

The original cast-on stitches are the center of the neckline. In other words, this shawl is knit from the neck down. The original cast-on stitches should be sewn together (using your long tail from casting on, or with matching scrap yarn) once you have about 2 or 3 inches of the shawl knit. The complete instructions Walker gave in her book consisted of 3 or 4 sentences, so I winged it and figured it out as I went along. It wasn’t hard to do and most things become self-explanatory as it knits up. Just remember that once you have about 3 inches knit, take a look at your shawl. Sew the one place required to make a perfect triangle.

ALTERNATE CAST-ON

Another easier method for starting a shawl is to cast-on 5 stitches and begin the same increase method as shown above on row 1. This one doesn’t have to be sewn at all and looks very nice too. I use the 9 stitch cast-on which needs to be sewn because I feel it makes a nicer center neckline, but either one of them works/looks just fine. If you choose to do the 5-stitch cast on, simply follow the same instructions as above for increasing.

Pattern:
15 garter ridges of Antique White (one ridge is 2 rows, so that’s 30 knitted rows)
2 garter ridges Periwinkle
1 ridge A. White again
1 ridge navy
1 ridge A. White
2 ridges Periwinkle

The yarn for each color should be carried up the side during the striping rows, which saves on weaving in ends when you are finished. This is a great instructional video on carrying yarn up the side if you want to learn how to do it well.

Repeat this pattern 2 more times.

Ending with your fourth periwinkle knitted row as the bind off row. This is the bottom of the shawl and looks lovely to end with this color.
(Optional: I changed the increases to every 4th row (instead of every other row) for the last 25 rows, which rounded the pointed tip just a little bit, not too much.)

Weave in all ends.

Using size 11 needles, the shawl measures approx. 6 feet across the shoulders and 3 feet from nape of neck to point.

Adding Fringe:

I used periwinkle for the fringe. 4 strands (doubled) every 5 stitches worked out perfectly.
To make fringe — wrap yarn around and around a book (or piece of cardboard) that is about 7 or eight inches wide. Then, cut once and the yarn is twice as long and easily used for fringe. Double it, pull it through the stitch with a crochet hook, slip the ends through the new loop and pull snuggly. Here is a great video showing a very detailed method of making fringe.

The fringe for this shawl is a bit longer than I use on scarves. I found that it looked nicer so I used a larger book to wrap the yarn around. After attaching fringe, trim ends evenly.

BEAUTIFUL!