Tiong Bahru by Åsa Tricosa

Tiong Bahru

Knitting
May 2012
Lace ?
19 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches
in stocking stitch
US 4 - 3.5 mm
733 - 875 yards (670 - 800 m)
200 cm x 65 cm/ 170 cm x 52 cm (& tips for scaling up)
Flag of English English Japanese
This pattern is available for kr.65.00 DKK buy it now

5 for 4 – if you buy any 5 Åsa Tricosa patterns at the same time you get the least expensive one for free.

Elegant and stylish with a spectacular lace border, this top-down semi-circularish shawl transitions from stocking stitch to the billowing border all in single rows. A lacy edging is knitted along as you go. Shaping is made by paired increases -- for comparison: Tiong Bahru1 is a bit more crescent-y than Bakau.

  • written out line by line
  • charted (You can work from the charts or the written instructions only.)

Åsa’s Tab Cast on (first featured in the Bakau pattern) makes another appearance here.

There are two sizes to choose from, a generous shawl and a slightly smaller version (but rather bigger than a shawlette).

The pattern can easily be scaled up or down. Stitch counts and calculations for this are provided.

For a beaded Bind Off as in KimDenise’s gorgeous Tiong Bahru:
Small: 176 beads
Large: 197 beads

As for yarn choices, Tiong Bahru can be worked in cobweb to heavy laceweight in silk, silk-blends or wool.

The red (slightly larger) shawl in the photos was knitted with Wollmeise Lace-Garn. The grey with DyeForYarn Lace Silk.

Gauge for WM Lace: approx 19 sts x 32 rows = 10 cm/ 4”
Gauge for DFY Silk: approx 20 sts x 27 rows = 10 cm/ 4”

A Japanese translation is available from Atelier Knits.

On July 16 there was a Prize Draw for all owners of the Tiong Bahru pattern: a skein of Gryffin yarn and a copy of my Serangoon pattern. More info here.

To find out what’s up my knitted sleeve, you may sign up for the occasional Åsa Tricosa Newsletter here.


  1. Tiong Bahru is a suburb and subway stop on the East-West Line in Singapore -- I just like the name, especially the way it’s enunciated with gravitas and faultless clarity on the tube. Tiong Bahru is also a simpler version of Jamie’s Shawl which will take while longer to write up and test knit.