Blue Sky Fibers Rectangle Shawl PDF

Blue Sky Fibers Rectangle Shawl – Knitting Pattern by Kim Hamlin

The Blue Sky Fibers Rectangle Shawl is a beautifully elegant knitted accessory designed by Kim Hamlin and published by Blue Sky Alpacas. This downloadable PDF pattern produces a long, rectangular shawl with a delicate lace body and a charming handmade picot border, making it a versatile piece that works equally well as a wrap, scarf, or evening accessory. The finished blocked dimensions are 20" x 54", creating a gracefully proportioned shawl with excellent drape.

What Is Being Made

This pattern creates a single rectangular shawl worked entirely flat from one short end to the other. The body features a repeating ten-row lace stitch pattern that creates a flowing, offset column of yarn-over eyelets across the fabric. Once the knitted body is complete, a decorative picot border is added along all four edges using a crochet hook, giving the finished shawl a refined, delicate edging that frames the lace beautifully. The shawl shown in the pattern is worked in Champagne #136, a soft neutral colorway that highlights the openwork texture.

Techniques Used

• Worked flat: The entire shawl body is knitted back and forth in rows on straight or circular needles, making it accessible to knitters comfortable with flat construction.
• Lace knitting: The stitch pattern uses a combination of yarn overs and k2tog decreases to create a repeating diagonal eyelet motif that shifts position across each pair of rows, producing a subtle, all-over lace texture.
• Picot border (crochet finishing): A crochet hook is used after binding off to work slip stitches and chain-3 picots along every edge of the shawl, including the corners. This technique adds a decorative scalloped border without requiring advanced crochet skills.
• Wet blocking: The pattern instructs knitters to pin the shawl to a towel, stretch the fabric to open the yarn-over eyelets, and spray with water to set the final shape — a standard and highly recommended finishing step for lace knitting.

Stitches Used

• Knit (K) – the foundational stitch used throughout the body
• Purl (P) – used on wrong-side rows to create the fabric's reverse texture
• Yarn Over (YO) – creates the decorative eyelets that define the lace pattern
• Knit 2 Together (K2tog) – a right-leaning decrease paired with each yarn over to maintain stitch count
• Slip stitch (crochet) – used along the edges when working the picot border
• Chain 3 (crochet) – forms the looped picot points along the border

Stitch Pattern Detail

The lace body is built on a ten-row repeat worked over a cast-on of 101 stitches. Each pair of rows shifts the position of the k2tog, yo combination by one stitch, so the eyelet columns travel diagonally across the fabric rather than stacking vertically. This creates a gentle, flowing movement in the finished textile. The pattern is repeated until the piece measures 54 inches or the knitter's desired length, ending after row 10 before binding off.

Experience Level

The pattern is rated Advanced Beginner, making it an ideal next step for knitters who have mastered basic knit and purl stitches and are ready to explore simple lace construction. The ten-row repeat is logical and easy to memorize, and the addition of the crochet picot border introduces a small amount of basic crochet finishing in a very approachable way.

Materials

• Yarn: Blue Sky Alpaca Silk – a DK weight yarn sold in 50g/146-yard hanks; 7 hanks are required. This yarn is a luxurious blend of alpaca and silk that contributes exceptional softness, subtle sheen, and beautiful drape — qualities