Lotus Blossom Shawl

Lotus Blossom Shawl by Carissa Browning

What is Being Made

The Lotus Blossom Shawl is a knitted triangular shawl designed as a one-size garment. This intermediate-level knitting pattern creates a finished piece with a 36-inch span and 15 inches of height at the center, making it an elegant accessory suitable for layering or wearing as a wrap.

Knitting Techniques

This pattern employs several fundamental and decorative knitting techniques to achieve its lotus-inspired design. The shawl construction utilizes stockinette stitch as the primary fabric base, which creates a smooth, refined surface ideal for showcasing stitch definition. The pattern incorporates yarn overs as a key design element, which create the openwork details characteristic of lace patterns and contribute to the shawl's delicate aesthetic.

Shaping techniques include increases worked throughout the pattern to expand the triangular silhouette from the center outward. The pattern uses stitch markers to help track pattern repeats and maintain consistent shaping across the 24 marked sections, which is essential for achieving the symmetrical lotus blossom motif.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette stitch: The foundational stitch creating the smooth fabric base
• Yarn over (yo): Creates decorative holes and lace elements throughout the design
• Knit front and back (kfb): An increase stitch that adds stitches while maintaining fabric continuity
• Knit 2 together (k2tog): A decrease stitch used for shaping and creating directional decreases in the pattern
• Pass slipped stitch over (psso): A decrease technique that creates a left-leaning decrease, often used in lace patterns for visual balance

Materials and Specifications

The Lotus Blossom Shawl is designed to be worked with 4-ply yarn, specifically using Wooly Wonka Fibers Ceridwen Sock in the colorway Rosehips. This yarn is composed of 100% merino fiber, providing softness, breathability, and excellent stitch definition. One skein provides 366 meters or 400 yards, and the pattern requires exactly 1 skein, making this an efficient single-skein project.

The pattern calls for a US #4/3.5mm circular needle to accommodate the expanding stitch count as the shawl grows outward. Twenty-four stitch markers are required to track the pattern repeats and maintain the symmetrical lotus blossom design. A tapestry needle is needed for weaving in ends upon completion.

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern is worked at a gauge of 24 stitches and 32 rows per 4 inches in stockinette stitch. Maintaining this gauge is important for achieving the intended finished measurements of 36 inches in span and 15 inches at the center height. The pattern is offered in one size only, making it a straightforward project without sizing options to calculate.