Chrysler crown shawl

Chrysler Crown Shawl by Natalie Servant

What Is Being Made

The Chrysler Crown Shawl is a rectangular lace stole or scarf inspired by the iconic crown of the Chrysler Building in New York City. The designer, Natalie Servant, translated the architectural shapes and shiny details of this famous landmark into an elegant lace knitting pattern. This project offers flexibility in sizing, with options to create either a larger fingering weight shawl or a more compact scarf, both featuring the same distinctive geometric lace design.

Design and Construction Techniques

This shawl employs a distinctive construction method that begins with a provisional cast on at the center, allowing the piece to expand outward from the middle. The design features a garter stitch border on all four sides, which provides a neat, finished edge and frames the delicate lace interior. The pattern is built using triangle patterns that repeat across the width and length of the piece, creating the geometric aesthetic inspired by the Chrysler Building's crown.

The pattern includes several specialized stitches that the designer explains within the instructions. For knitters who prefer to work with more traditional stitches, Natalie Servant provides an optional legend that offers alternative approaches to the custom stitches, making the project more accessible to knitters of varying experience levels.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

• Garter stitch: Used for the borders on all four sides of the shawl, creating a textured, reversible edge
• Lace stitches: The pattern incorporates custom lace stitches designed to echo the Chrysler Building's crown; alternative stitch options are provided in an optional legend
• Triangle patterns: Geometric lace motifs that form the primary design element and repeat across the width and length

Materials and Yardage

This pattern is available in two size options with different yarn weight requirements:

• Fingering Weight Shawl: Finished measurements of 17.5" × 82", constructed with 3 triangle patterns wide by 10 charts long. This version requires approximately 1700 yards (1550 meters) of fingering weight yarn, equivalent to 2 complete skeins of Handmaiden Sea Silk (870 yards/800 meters per 100g skein).
• Lace Weight Scarf: Finished measurements of 9" × 80", constructed with 2 triangle patterns wide by 10 charts long. This more compact version uses less than 1 skein of Zephyr lace weight yarn, requiring approximately 600 yards (550 meters).

Additional notions include a darning needle for weaving in ends and stitch markers (optional, to be placed at the edges of repeats as indicated by bold lines in the charts).

Difficulty Level

This project is rated as intermediate difficulty. While the garter stitch borders are straightforward, the custom lace stitches and chart-reading required for the geometric patterns demand solid foundational knitting skills. The availability of alternative stitch options makes the pattern more adaptable for different skill levels within the intermediate range.