Whackalong Shawl by Dominique Trad

Whackalong Shawl

Knitting
December 2017
Ollie & May Hand Dyed Yarn
Fingering (14 wpi) ?
23 stitches and 36 rows = 4 inches
in Garter stitch after blocking
US 6 - 4.0 mm
US 11 - 8.0 mm
875 yards (800 m)
One - Adjustable
English
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The Whackalong shawl is a pretty traditional crescent shawl designed for 2 skeins of fingering weight yarn, with a super fun TWIST - you cast off less stitches at the end of the shawl than you have on the needles half way through!
I loved the idea of creating a shawl pattern where just as you are noticing a lot of stitches on your needles and usually slow down your progress, instead, we speed things up by slashing the stitch count and working the second half on big needles for a fun, fast finish.

Featuring stripes of garter stitch separated by sections of lace, this shawl is ideal for any yarn style. It is especially fun to use your handspun, speckled, or variegated yarn as the MC because the stitch patterns in the shawl design were specially selected to play with colour from soft pooling in the garter sections to really breaking up the colours into separate pops throughout the final section.

Note: The final lace is less dense than the rest of the shawl. I like it that way but if that’s likely to bother you, just start using your yarn double when you change needles. You will either need more yarn or do fewer repeats (I did the maximum to show how far the yarn will go used single but 1/2 is plenty).

Please also be aware that the shaping of the shawl is different in the MKAL version (red handspun DK sample) from the 4ply pattern (pink 4ply sample). I recommend that you use the 4ply pattern and only refer to the MKAL instructions I have provided as a separate PDF if you want to use your own handspun yarn and would like ideas about how to select your combo or make any adjustments to the 4ply pattern (especially if you are using a heavier weight yarn).

All instructions are written and charted for both versions. All information below refers to the 4ply pattern.

Yarn
MC: 100g of Audrey 4ply Soft Sock by Ollie and May Hand Dyed Yarns which is 400m/437yd per 100g (col. Rainbow Flats).

CC: 100g of Cocata/Cochita fingering by Moseley Park which is 400m/437yd per 100g (col. Pixie).

Needles & Notions
Pair of 4mm (US 6) & 8mm (US 11) needles. If you select to use a different needle size to obtain gauge, you must make sure that your larger needle is DOUBLE whatever your smaller needle is. I like to use an 80cm circular needle set but straight are fine also.
2 stitch markers (optional).

Tension/Gauge
23 sts x 36 rows to 10cm (4”) using 4mm (US 6) needles over garter stitch after blocking.

Finished Measurements
56cm (22”) deep at centre x 230cm (90.5”) wide along top edge (blocked).

Errata: The repeat for the first lace panel of both versions is not correctly shown on the chart. Please follow the written instructions.