Prairie Girl

Prairie Girl Crescent Shawl by Tante Ehm

What Is Being Made

Prairie Girl is a crescent-shaped shawl designed by Tante Ehm, an independent knitwear designer. This shawl measures 56 inches wide by 13 inches deep after blocking, making it a wide, shallow accessory piece perfect for draping across the shoulders. The distinctive crescent shape and twirling edges create an elegant, flowing silhouette.

Knitting Techniques Used

This intermediate-level knitting project employs several key techniques to achieve its distinctive shape and construction:

• Short rows: The shawl begins with 2 sets of short rows, which establish the foundational crescent shaping
• Rapid stitch increases: The stockinette body grows quickly with 6 stitches increased every 2 rows, creating the wide proportions
• Picot edging: A delicate picot edging softens the wide garter border, adding refined detail to the finished piece
• Circular needle knitting: Construction uses circular needles, allowing for the management of increasing stitch counts

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

Prairie Girl incorporates fundamental knitting stitches combined into structured stitch patterns:

• Stockinette stitch (St st): Forms the main body of the shawl, creating a smooth, classic fabric
• Garter stitch: Used for the border, providing a textured frame
• Yarn overs (yo): Create decorative increases and contribute to the lacy picot edging
• Specialty increases: The pattern includes kyok (knit without dropping stitch, yarn over, knit into stitch again) and kpk (knit without dropping stitch, purl into stitch, knit into stitch again) techniques, each increasing 2 stitches and adding textural interest
• Slip stitches: Used purlwise for edge management and stitch definition

Materials and Tools

Prairie Girl requires moderate yardage and standard knitting equipment:

• Yarn: 380 yards (347 meters) of worsted weight yarn, providing substantial fabric with good stitch definition
• Needles: US 8 / 5 mm circular knitting needle in 24 inches (60 cm) length for the main fabric, and US 9 / 5.5 mm knitting needle for bind-off or border work
• Notions: Blunt needle for weaving in ends and 2 stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats
• Gauge: 16 stitches and 26 rows over 4 inches (10 cm) in stockinette stitch with smaller needles after blocking

Design Notes

The Prairie Girl shawl achieves its elegant aesthetic through thoughtful construction choices. The crescent shaping results from strategic short rows at the beginning, while the rapid increases in the stockinette body create width without excessive length. The combination of smooth stockinette with a textured garter border and refined picot edging balances structure with softness. Blocking is essential to achieving the final measurements and allowing the twirling edges to fully develop their characteristic movement.