I’m calling this Multnomah-esque because I am making a fair number of modifications. The mods all revolve around the fact that I like the lace pattern in shawls to emerge from the edges, rather than having plain stitches until there are enough for a new repeat, so that the lace looks a bit like a set of stairs.

Mods include:

• Changed cast-on (see notes below)
• Knitting with three-stitch edge instead of one stitch, knitting with one-stitch center column instead of five stitches
• Changed increase stitches (using yarnovers on RS, see notes below)
• Using two skeins of sock yarn for a larger shawl
• Wrote up a lace chart to capture the feather & fan lace pattern emerging from the edges and have posted it to share - you can find it here: http://www.lauratreadway.com/knitting/mult-esque-lace.pdf (Note: updated Nov 9, 2010).

Reflections on the project:
I love this MCN yarn. It makes the merino sock yarn I am using on other shawls feel harsh in comparison. Garter stitch and feather & fan is a great use for its variegatedness too. A great grab-and-go project in its garter stitch stage. Once I started the lace edging, I found that I was inordinately pleased by the emerging feather & fan pattern. Watching the lace come together was my favorite part of this knit.

To make this shawl larger than the pattern:
I made a larger shawl by using two skeins of sock yarn instead of the one the original pattern called for. I knit the first skein entirely in the garter stitch. The first row after I added the second skein where I had enough stitches (multiples of 36 + the center and border stitches), I switched into the feather and fan edging and knit until I ran out of yarn.

The other piece of feedback I have re making it larger is that knitting with a larger needle is fine for this pattern, depending of course on the yarn you pick. I used a plump, soft sock yarn which was definitely on the heavy side of fingering - perhaps even sport weight. I used US size 5 needles, and think I could have easily gone up to a size 6.

The cast on I used for my modified shawl:
Set up rows: CO 3 st, knit 3 rows (make one garter ridge)
Row 1: k3, turn 90 degrees, yo, pick up st from edge of garter ridge, yo, turn 90 degrees, pick up 3 st from cast on edge
Row 2: k 9
Row 3: k 3, yo, k1, yo, k1 (center st), yo, k1, yo, k3
Row 4: k 13

Continue for garter section:
Right side rows: k3, yo, knit to center st, yo, k1, yo, knit until three st left, yo, k3
Wrong side rows: k4, kfb, knit until five st left, kfb, k4
Continue thusly until there are multiples of 36 st + the border and center st on your needle (will be the end of a WS row). Begin the feather & fan section here.

Shawl #4 of 10 shawl in 2010.