Slot Canyon

Slot Canyon Knit Shawl by Taiga Hilliard Designs

What is Being Made

Slot Canyon is an elegant knit shawl featuring a beautiful lace pattern. This downloadable PDF knitting pattern is designed as an end-to-end shawl construction, making it an accessible introduction to lace knitting for advanced knitters seeking to expand their skills. The shawl is versatile and can be easily adjusted based on available yardage, allowing crafters to customize the finished size.

Yarn and Materials

This shawl pattern calls for Malabrigo Rasta yarn with a total yardage requirement of 180 yards. The pattern is suitable for super bulky, bulky doubled, or 4 strands of worsted weight yarn, providing flexibility for yarn substitution. Knitters will need US size 19 (15.00 mm) needles to work this project at the specified gauge.

Gauge and Construction

The pattern is worked at a gauge of 6.0 stitches over 4 inches. The end-to-end construction method means the shawl is knit from one end to the other, with the lace pattern becoming intuitive after a few rows are completed. This approach allows knitters to work until yarn runs out, making it easy to adjust the final dimensions without complex calculations.

Stitches and Techniques Used

Slot Canyon incorporates fundamental lace knitting techniques suitable for advanced knitters. The pattern utilizes the following stitches and abbreviations:

• K2tog – Knit two stitches together (right-leaning decrease)
• SSK – Slip, slip, knit together through the back loops (left-leaning decrease)
• YO – Yarn over (creates the openwork characteristic of lace)
• K – Knit stitch
• P – Purl stitch
• M1 – Make one increase by picking up the horizontal strand between needles from back to front and knitting through the front loop
• SM – Slip marker
• PM – Place marker

Pattern Format and Lace Instructions

All lace elements in the Slot Canyon pattern are provided in both written and charted formats, allowing knitters to follow their preferred method. The charts serve as visual guides for the lace pattern structure. The pattern notes that decrease charts may not align perfectly depending on where the knitter begins, and instructions specify that stitches should be slipped purl-wise throughout the project.

Project Characteristics

Slot Canyon is described as a fun and fast knit despite its advanced difficulty level. The project is ideal for fall and winter wear and serves as an excellent introduction to lace shawl knitting for experienced knitters. At 180 yards and worked on large needles, this shawl comes together quickly while teaching valuable lace techniques through its pretty, accessible pattern.