Fraxinus Shawl

Fraxinus Shawl by Anne Podlesak

What is Being Made

The Fraxinus Shawl is a rectangular stole measuring 71 inches long and 22 inches wide, designed as an elegant wrap featuring sophisticated lace patterning throughout. This intermediate-level knitting project combines a waving lace pattern in the central body with diamond lace patterned borders on both edges, creating a refined and versatile accessory suitable for various occasions.

Techniques Used

This design employs fundamental and intermediate lace knitting techniques to achieve its elegant aesthetic. The construction utilizes charted lace patterns that require careful attention to stitch placement and decreases. Knitters will work with stitch markers to track pattern repeats and maintain alignment throughout the project. The shawl requires working with a large number of stitches, necessitating the use of longer circular needles to accommodate the expanding fabric as the piece grows.

Stitches Used

The Fraxinus Shawl incorporates several essential knitting stitches to create its lace effects:

• Knit (K) stitches form the foundation of the fabric
• Purl (P) stitches add texture and definition
• Knit 2 together (K2tog) decreases used to shape the lace openings
• Slip, slip, knit (SSK) decreases that lean in the opposite direction from K2tog, allowing for balanced decreases in lace patterns
• Slip, slip, purl (SSP) decreases for purl-based lace sections

These stitches work together to create the characteristic open, flowing appearance of the waving lace body and the geometric diamond lace borders.

Materials

The Fraxinus Shawl requires two skeins of Wooly Wonka Fibers Nimue Sock yarn in the Parchment colorway, with each skein providing 435 yards from a 100-gram weight. The sample shown used approximately 800 yards total, though yardage requirements may vary based on individual gauge. This is a 4-ply yarn weight, which provides excellent stitch definition for displaying the intricate lace patterns.

Knitting needles required include US size 5 (3.75 mm) circular needles measuring 32 inches in length, with a second needle needed to work the second border. The longer circular needle length is essential for accommodating the large number of stitches as the rectangular shawl expands during construction. Knitters should adjust needle size as necessary to achieve the correct gauge of 19 stitches and 31 rows over 4 inches (10 cm) when measured over the charted pattern after blocking. Additional notions include stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and a darning needle for weaving in ends.

Gauge and Finishing

While gauge is noted as not being crucial to this project, it will directly affect the total yardage needed to complete the shawl. Proper blocking after completion helps even out the lace pattern and sets the finished dimensions. The rectangular format and lace patterning make this an excellent project for knitters seeking to develop their lace skills at an intermediate level.