Oceanspray by Galia Lael

Oceanspray

Knitting
December 2011
Lace ?
27 stitches and 40 rows = 4 inches
in stockinette
US 2 - 2.75 mm
1000 - 1400 yards (914 - 1280 m)
one, adjustable
English
This pattern is available for free.

errata (bolded):

  • On the 4-sts repeat, Row 114: K3, yo, k3, yo, k2tog, k2 to 2 sts from marker, k2, yo, slm, k1, yo, k4, ssk, yo, k2 to 1 st from marker, k1, yo, k3. 445 sts.
  • On the Elm Leaf border, Set up row 2 WS: K6, place marker, k16, place marker, k5, k2tog (one st from newly CO edge stitches, and one st from original body sts).
  • On Elm leaf pattern written directions: abbreviation for ‘slm’ (Slip Marker) is missing, and the symbol for k2tog on RS should also read p2tog on WS.

Yarn-percentage required for the border: The larger shawls (the size of the sample) will require around 30% of the yarn for the border. The smaller the shawl - the larger the border will be in comparison, even up to 50% for a small shoulderette size. I do recommend to save a little more yarn that required, just in case. If you have a digital scale this task becomes a very easy one!


I wanted to create something that was both complicated-looking, but also very simple in terms of construction and pattern. Something that won’t need the knitter’s full attention and could easily be done in front of the TV, but will have a big “wow factor” when finished.

This shawl is very simple and intuitive to make. You don’t need to follow the directions exactly to get similar results. The only thing that pushes it into the ‘piquant’ section is the knitted-on lace border.

The shawl can be made smaller or bigger very easily without any calculations at all. The Ocean Spray section is constructed of very simple repeats of yo/k2tog or ssk/yo with a constant number of k sts in between. It starts with 13 k sts between the yo/decrease pairs, the next section has 9 k sts in between and so on. That constant number gets smaller as the shawl grows bigger, until the last rows are ‘yo, k2tog’ repeated over and over again. That’s the reason the Ocean Spray section is not charted. It’s way too simple for a chart!

This shawl requires a single skein (1375 yd) of laceweight yarn, and uses it almost entirely. If your gauge is a bit looser than specified or you’re not sure you’ll have enough yarn, be prepared to either break into a second skein, or make the shawl slightly smaller (directions for adjusting size follow).