Oshara Shawl Mystery KAL: Week 2
Welcome to Week 2 in the Oshara Shawl MKAL! Let’s talk about colorwork and lace.
Get started with the first MKAL post here, and be sure to read the third post here. The final post can be found here.
The Oshara Shawl incorporates color by working slipped stitches rather than stranded colorwork. In slip-stitch colorwork, only a single color is worked at a time; the second color is carried along the right edge of the work, which helps minimize the number of yarn tails that need to be woven in at the end of the project.
Two-Color Slip-Stitch Tips
When you carry both yarns along the side when working two-color slip stitch, drop the yarn just used and pick up the next color behind the old color. This gives your edge a visually appealing woven look.
All the stitches in this shawl are slipped purlwise, with yarn held to the wrong side of the project (Figure 1), so that none of the floats will be visible on the right side after the shawl is finished.
Slipping the stitches purlwise also keeps them elastic, which is important for this project (slipping them knitwise twists them and shortens the length of the slipped stitches). Until you are comfortable with this method, double-check the stitches to ensure they are not twisted. Correct any twisted stitches as you work the following row.
Floats in Colorwork
You’ll want to keep your floats nice and loose to avoid puckering during blocking. The floats should not run straight across the wrong side of the project; they should look a little loopy (Photo 1). An easy way to achieve the loose quality you need is to slightly spread the slipped stitches on the right needle before knitting into the next stitch.
Lace and Yarnovers
Some knitters are intimidated by lace, but it’s not scary—you’ll simply be making holes in your knitting on purpose and not by accident. I included a simple, beginner-friendly lace pattern in this design. However, if you are new to lace, you may want to practice creating yarnovers before starting the first lace portion of this pattern (Figure 2).
Yarnovers are used to create open spaces in the fabric. They also compensate for stitches lost to decreases, which maintains the overall stitch count (unless otherwise indicated in the pattern). Yarnovers combined with different decreases create the directional lace designs in this pattern, so it is important to use the decreases as specified; for example, a k2tog slants to the right and should not be used in place of an ssk, which slants to the left. Please remember that the lace may not look like much while on the needles, but don’t worry—it will show its full beauty during the final blocking.
Oshara Shawl Pattern Details, Week #2
Work Rows 1–18 of Chart 1, breaking A after Row 12.
Work Rows 1–12 of Chart 2, breaking C after Row 8.
Work Rows 1–8 of Chart 3 two times, then work Rows 9 and 10 once—229 sts.
Work Rows 1–22 of Chart 4, breaking B after Row 8 and C after Row 18.
Work Rows 1–8 of Chart 5 four times, then work Rows 9 and 10 once—303 sts.
If you’d like to create a printable set of instructions for the shawl, copy and paste the URL for this blog into the box at the top of this page. Your print version will be generated in a jiffy!
That brings us to the end of this week’s reveal. I hope you’re enjoying working on your shawl, and I look forward to talking to you again next week.
Happy knitting!
Susanna IC
IG, FB, Ravelry
www.ArtQualia.com
The chart symbols for colors D, E, or F are white because you can use any one of the three colors in those areas.
The chart symbols for colors D, E, or F are white because you can use any one of the three colors in those areas.
In Chart #4 & #5, the graph symbols correspond with colors D, E, or F, yet in the picture example, I don’t see any of our color choices displayed. Am I interpreting something in error?
In Chart #4 & #5, the graph symbols correspond with colors D, E, or F, yet in the picture example, I don’t see any of our color choices displayed. Am I interpreting something in error?
I’ve never knit from a chart and not sure I understand. Are there row by row written instructions?
I’m afraid this is as detailed as it gets, and the patterns we offer in our publications are presented in the same manner. It might help to travel over to Susanna IC’s Ravelry page – see if the shawl discussion group can help: https://www.ravelry.com/discuss/susanna-ic/3783521/951-975#955
I’ve never knit from a chart and not sure I understand. Are there row by row written instructions?
I’m afraid this is as detailed as it gets, and the patterns we offer in our publications are presented in the same manner. It might help to travel over to Susanna IC’s Ravelry page – see if the shawl discussion group can help: https://www.ravelry.com/discuss/susanna-ic/3783521/951-975#955