Flower Shawl

Flower and Leaves Lace Shawl V by Vickie Hartog

What is Being Made

The Flower and Leaves Lace Shawl V is a triangular lace shawl designed by Vickie Hartog. This knitted accessory measures 52 inches from tip to tip, making it a generous wrap suitable for layering or draping. The shawl features a delicate lace construction with floral and leaf motifs created through strategic yarn overs and decreases.

Craft and Project Type

This is a knitting project classified as a shawl. The design is available as a downloadable PDF pattern, allowing crafters to work at their own pace. Despite being labeled as a beginner-friendly project in terms of accessibility, the actual skill level required is intermediate, as the pattern involves reading lace charts and managing multiple yarn overs and decreases simultaneously.

Knitting Techniques Used

The Flower and Leaves Lace Shawl V employs several fundamental lace-knitting techniques:

• Provisional cast on: The pattern begins with a provisional cast on using waste yarn, which allows for a seamless integration of stitches later in the construction
• Yarn overs (YO): These create the openwork and lace pattern characteristic of the design, increasing stitch count strategically to form the triangular shape
• Decreases: The pattern uses purl two together (P2Tog) and slip-slip-knit decreases (S2TogK) to shape the shawl and balance the yarn overs
• Garter stitch edging: Knit stitches are maintained at the edges (K2 at beginning and end of rows) to create a finished border
• Chart reading: The main body construction is guided by a graph, requiring intermediate-level chart interpretation skills

Stitches and Abbreviations

The pattern uses standard knitting abbreviations including:

• K (Knit): The fundamental knit stitch
• P (Purl): The reverse of the knit stitch, used in even rows
• YO (Yarn Over): Creates decorative holes and increases stitches for lace formation
• P2Tog (Purl Two Together): A decrease that combines two stitches into one
• S2TogK (Slip Two Together Knitwise, Knit One, Pass Two Slipped Stitches Over): A more complex double decrease used in lace patterns

Materials and Yarn Requirements

The Flower and Leaves Lace Shawl V is designed for lace-weight yarn, which is the finest standard yarn weight category. Lace-weight yarn allows the delicate stitch definition and drape essential to showcasing the floral and leaf lace patterns. The pattern begins with a provisional cast on of just two stitches, building gradually through yarn overs to reach the full triangular dimensions. While specific yardage is not detailed in the provided content, the finished measurements of 52 inches tip to tip suggest a substantial yardage requirement typical of lace shawls. Knitters will need appropriate needles for lace-weight yarn and waste yarn for the provisional cast on.

Pattern Structure

The shawl construction follows a logical progression. After the provisional cast on and initial setup rows, stitches are picked up strategically to create a foundation of 5 stitches. The main body then expands through a series of rows featuring paired yarn overs on either side of a center stitch, creating the characteristic triangular lace shawl silhouette. Even-numbered rows feature a consistent structure of garter stitch edges with purl stitches between, allowing the lace pattern to develop clearly on the odd-numbered rows shown in the chart.