1094 Catasticta - Shawl Knitting Pattern for Women in Valley Yarns Westfield

Pattern Summary: 1094 Catasticta Shawl Knitting Pattern by Julie Turjoman

The 1094 Catasticta is an intermediate-level knitting pattern designed by Julie Turjoman and published by Valley Yarns. This elegant, asymmetrical wrap is inspired by the essence of spring renewal, combining two distinct lace border patterns with a classic stockinette center to create a visually striking, wearable piece. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and is suitable for knitters who are comfortable working lace charts and managing multiple stitch patterns within a single project.

What Is Being Made

The Catasticta is a rectangular wrap or shawl designed for women, worked as a single flat piece. It is a one-size design with finished measurements of approximately 19 inches wide by 71½ inches long, making it a generously sized accessory suitable for draping over the shoulders or wearing as a scarf. The wrap features an intentionally asymmetrical design: one end is bordered by a repeating fern leaf lace pattern, while the opposite end is bordered by an offset flowerbud lace pattern. The center of the wrap is worked in smooth stockinette stitch, which allows the two decorative borders to frame and complement each other beautifully. For knitters who prefer symmetry, the pattern notes that either border pattern can be worked on both ends.

Construction and Techniques

The Catasticta wrap is constructed using a seamless, worked-flat method, meaning the entire piece is knitted back and forth in one piece with no seaming required. This straightforward construction makes it an approachable project for intermediate knitters who want to practice lace without the complexity of shaping or assembly.

• Long-Tail Cast-On: The pattern begins with 99 stitches cast on using the Long-Tail Cast-On method, which creates a neat, elastic, and professional-looking foundation edge well-suited to lace and decorative knitting.
• Garter Stitch Edges: All side edges are worked in garter stitch (knitting every row on the edges) to prevent rolling and to frame the lace patterns cleanly. Three stitches on each side are maintained as garter stitch borders throughout the entire piece.
• Slipped Edge Stitch: The first stitch of every row is slipped purlwise, creating a tidy, chain-like selvedge edge that gives the wrap a polished, finished appearance without any additional finishing work.
• Stitch Markers: Markers are placed to separate the garter stitch borders from the main pattern sections, and additional markers may be placed within the lace repeats to help track pattern placement.
• Lace Knitting: Two distinct lace border patterns are the defining design feature of this wrap. Lace knitting typically involves a combination of yarn-overs to create decorative eyelets and decreases (such as k2tog or ssk) to compensate and maintain stitch count. These techniques work together to form the open, airy motifs characteristic of lace fabric.
• Stockinette Stitch Center: The central section of the wrap is worked in classic stockinette stitch (knit on right side rows, purl on wrong side rows), providing a smooth, elegant contrast to the textured lace borders on either end.
• Blocking: As with most lace knitting, blocking is an essential finishing step. The gauge is measured over border patterns, blocked, confirming that wet or steam blocking will open up the lace motifs and bring the wrap to its full finished dimensions.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette stitch — used for the central body of the wrap
• Garter stitch — used for the side borders and set-up rows to stabilize the edges
• Fern leaf lace pattern — a repeating motif worked across one border end
• Flowerbud lace pattern — an offset repeating motif worked across the opposite border end, with an 18-row repeat worked a total of five times to measure approximately 13 inches from the cast-on edge
• Slipped purlwise selvedge stitch