Peach Blossoms Shawl

Peach Blossoms Shawl by Emily J. Designs

Project Overview

The Peach Blossoms Shawl is a delicate, wearable knit accessory designed by Emily J. Designs. This intermediate-level knitting project creates a beautiful triangular shawl measuring 56 inches (142cm) wide and 22.5 inches (57cm) deep, making it an ideal size for draping elegantly across the shoulders or wearing as a lightweight wrap.

Construction Method and Techniques

This shawl is worked side to side, a construction technique that allows the knitter to build the shawl horizontally rather than from top to bottom. This method provides flexibility in shaping and creates interesting stitch pattern flow. The design features a delicate blossom lace throughout the body of the shawl, creating an intricate, openwork aesthetic that showcases the yarn beautifully. The shawl is finished with a scalloped lace edging that is picked up and worked last, adding a refined, decorative border that frames the entire piece.

Stitches and Abbreviations Used

The Peach Blossoms Shawl employs several fundamental knitting stitches and decreasing techniques to create its lace pattern:

• Stockinette stitch – the primary base stitch used throughout the shawl
• Sk2p (slip 1 stitch, knit 2 stitches together, pass the slipped stitch over) – a double decrease that creates elegant lace holes
• K2tog (knit 2 stitches together) – a right-leaning single decrease
• Ssk (slip, slip, knit) – a left-leaning single decrease
• K3tog (knit 3 stitches together) – a triple decrease for shaping
• Kf&b (knit into the front and back of one stitch) – an increase that adds stitches
• Yarn overs (yo) – used to create the openwork lace pattern
• Slip stitches (sl) – used for edge management and pattern work
• Knit through the back loop (kyotbl) – creates twisted stitches for texture variation

Yarn and Materials

The Peach Blossoms Shawl is worked in sport weight yarn, specifically 3 skeins of Cascade Yarns ReVerb in the colorway #08 Peach Blossom. Each skein contains 273 yards (250 meters) and weighs 100 grams (3.5 ounces). The yarn composition is 70% polyester and 30% alpaca, creating a blend that offers durability, softness, and a subtle sheen while maintaining excellent stitch definition for lace work.

Needles and Gauge

This project requires US 6 (4mm) needles, which can be used as straight or circular needles according to knitter preference. A long circular needle of the same size is needed for picking up and working the scalloped lace edging. The pattern calls for 2 stitch markers to help track pattern repeats and construction sections.

The gauge for this shawl is 22 stitches and 30 rows over 4 inches (10cm) in stockinette stitch. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for obtaining the intended finished dimensions and ensuring the lace pattern displays properly.

Skill Level

Rated as intermediate difficulty, the Peach Blossoms Shawl is suitable for knitters who have mastered basic stitches and are comfortable working with lace patterns, multiple decreases, and yarn overs. The side-to-side construction and lace edging require attention to pattern reading and stitch management, making this an excellent project for advancing knitting skills.