Lassen in Tahki Yarns Donegal Tweed Fine - Downloadable PDF

Lassen Shawl in Tahki Yarns Donegal Tweed Fine — Knitting Pattern by Rosemary Drysdale

The Lassen is a beautifully proportioned rectangular shawl or wrap designed by Rosemary Drysdale and published as a downloadable PDF pattern by Tahki Stacy Charles Inc. Rated as an easy beginner-friendly project, it is an ideal introduction to combining simple colorwork stripes with delicate eyelet lace texture. The finished piece measures approximately 20½ inches wide by 63 inches long (52 cm × 160 cm), making it a generously sized wrap suitable for draping over the shoulders or wearing as a scarf.

What Is Being Made

Lassen is a one-size rectangular shawl worked flat from end to end. The body of the shawl features a repeating Eyelet Pattern worked in alternating color stripes, framed by garter stitch edge stitches on all sides. A separately constructed Lace Edging is added to finish the piece, giving it a refined, decorative border. The combination of the striped eyelet body and the lace trim creates a fabric that is lightweight, airy, and visually interesting without requiring advanced knitting skills.

Techniques Used

• Worked flat: The entire shawl is knitted back and forth on straight needles, making it accessible to knitters who are not yet comfortable with circular knitting.
• Stripes: Three colors are alternated throughout the Eyelet Pattern in a structured sequence. To save time on finishing, the yarn is carried loosely along the side rather than cut between color changes — a practical technique that reduces the number of ends to weave in.
• Lace: The body incorporates a 24-row Eyelet Pattern repeat built around yarn-overs and decreases, producing an open, lacy fabric. A separate Lace Edging with its own 8-row repeat is worked and attached to complete the shawl.
• Seamed construction: The lace edging is worked as a separate strip and joined to the main body, requiring a basic seaming or joining step at the finish.
• Garter stitch borders: Four rows of garter stitch are worked at the cast-on and bind-off edges, and garter edge stitches are maintained throughout the body to keep the fabric from curling.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette stitch (St st): Forms the base fabric within each color stripe of the Eyelet Pattern.
• Garter stitch: Used for the border rows and the maintained edge stitches along both sides of the shawl.
• Yarn-over (yo): Creates the open eyelets that give the pattern its lacy character.
• K2tog (knit two together): A right-leaning decrease paired with yarn-overs in the Eyelet Pattern.
• Ssk (slip, slip, knit): A left-leaning decrease used in both the body and the Lace Edging for balanced shaping.
• P2tog (purl two together): Used on wrong-side rows within the Eyelet Pattern and Lace Edging.
• Sl 1 wyif (slip 1 with yarn in front): Used at the beginning of Lace Edging rows to create a neat, chained selvedge edge.
• Bind-off within pattern: The Lace Edging includes a mid-repeat bind-off on Row 8, a technique that shapes the decorative points or scallops of the edging.

Materials and Yarn

The pattern calls for Tahki Yarns Donegal Tweed Fine, a 4-ply weight yarn with a composition of 70% wool and 30% mohair, sold in 1.75 oz / 50 g skeins with approximately 218 yards (200 m) per skein. The mohair content adds a subtle halo and softness to the finished fabric, while the wool provides structure and the characteristic flecked texture of a classic Donegal tweed.

Three colors are used in the pattern:

• Color A