After making one of these for my MIL Mary, I decided that I needed one for myself. I had followed the pattern pretty much as written for Mary’s, but felt there could be improvements, such as a garter st tab start which would make a neater edge along the back of the neck. I also felt that a US 13 needle produced too loose of a fabric, so I used a US 11, as I’ve noticed a lot of other knitters have used.
This shawl has been a wip for quite a while, but I am going to finish it.

ABBREVIATIONS

GS = garter stitch
k = knit
kf&b = knit in front and back of the same st, an inc.
inc’d) = increased
inc(s) = increase(s)
inc’g = increasing
ndl = needle
pm = place ring marker on needle
pw = purlwise or as if to purl the next stitch
RS = right side
sm = slip marker
st(s) = stitch(es)
tbl = thru the back loop which twists the st
WS = wrong side
yf = yarn forward. Bring the working yarn forward between the needles.
yon = yarn over needle. A yarn over worked between a purl st and a knit st. What the designer calls a ‘backward yarn over’. In this case, if you think in a certain way, it is like a half-hitch.

Garter St Tab Start

1. Provisionally cast on 3 sts.
2. Work in GS for 12 ridges. Each row: K2, yf, slip last st pw.
3. Pick up 12 sts in the “valleys” of the long edge of the tab, then 3 sts from the cast-on edge. 18 sts total on needle: 3 for edging, 12 for center, 3 for edging.
4. Knit 1 row. Next row will be a RS row, place some kind of marker so you know that it is the RS.

Begin Upper Body
Row 1 RS (place 4 ring markers): K 3, pm, yon, kf&b, pm, k 10, pm, kf&b, yon, pm, k 2, yf, sl 1 pw. 4 sts inc’d, 22 sts on ndl.

Row 2 (WS): Slipping markers as you come to them, K up to the last st, yf, sl 1 pw. 22 sts.

Row 3 (RS): K 3, sm, yon, k 1, kf&b, k 1, yon, sm, k 1, yon, k to to 1 st before next marker, yon, k 1, sm, yon, k 1, kf&b, k 1, yon, sm, k 2, yf, sl 1 pw. 8 sts inc’d, 30 sts on ndl.

Row 4 (WS): K 3, sm, k 3, pm, k 3, sm, k 12, sm, k 3, pm, k 3, sm k 2, yf , sl 1 pw. Two (2) new markers added, second and fifth markers of the six. 30 sts on ndl.

Row 5 (RS): K 3, sm, yon, K to marker, yon, sm;
after 2nd marker: k 1, yon, k to marker, yon, sm;
after 3rd marker: k 1, yon, k to 1 st before marker, yon, k 1, sm;
after 4th marker: yon, k to 1 st before marker, yon, k 1, sm;
after 5th marker: yon, k to marker, sm, k 2, yf, sl 1 pw.
10 sts inc’d, 40 sts on needle.

Row 6 (WS): Slipping markers, k to last st, yf, sl 1 pw.

Repeat rows 5 and 6 until -
A) 100 sts on needle
B) 5 to 6 inches long from top edge
C) tried on, it reaches ends of shoulders

At 5 inches deep: 3-21-21-30-21-21-3 = 120 sts and 12 ridges, it was not large enough.
At 6 inches deep: 150 sts and 15 ridges, ready to end shoulder shaping and transition to lower body of the shawl.

Transition
Next RS row: K 3, sm, yon, k to marker, remove 2nd marker, k to next marker, yon, sm, k to next marker, sm, yon, k to marker, remove 5th marker, k to marker, yon, sm, k 2, yf, sl 1 pw. Only 4 sts inc’d and only 4 markers remain.

Next row: Knit all sts.

Lower Body:
Row 1: K 3, sm, yon, k to marker, yon, sm, k to next marker, sm, yon, k to last marker, yon, sm, k 2, sl 1 pw. 4 sts inc’d.
Row 2: Knit all sts.

5/7/25 I’ve resumed knitting this. There were 290 sts crammed on a 29” long circ, so I knitted them onto a 47” long circ.