Nan's No Fuss Shawl


Everyone can use a small shawl.  Small shawls like this one keep the chill away, are easy to wear and are not so much wool or so precious that you can't wear it every day.

Nan's No Fuss Shawl fits the bill perfectly.  The crescent shape helps it stay on the shoulders.  The overall size makes it possible to turn it around and wrap it closer to your neck as a kerchief scarf as well. Made with less than one ball of sock yarn and simple stitches, it is an economical and beginner friendly shawl project.

The project uses knit, purl, yarn overs and a 3-stitch I-cord bind off.  Super wash sock yarn is recommended for this project.  I used a merino/nylon blend from Leo and Roxy Yarn Co. Basics Fingering. Depending on how large you want to make your shawl, you will use most of the ball.  Just be sure to reserve enough yarn for the I-cord cast off!



Sorry for the issues with the pdf - first time trying to make a pdf available and I clearly didn't do it correctly! The full instructions are below.


Nan's No Fuss Shawl


Everyone needs a no fuss shawl, one that’s not so precious you won’t wear it when you’re sick, working around the home or garden. I have a number of shawls in my wardrobe and I have to confess it is the no fuss shawls that see the most use. I was recently asked to make a shawl as a gift and since I don’t know the person, so I decided to opt for a no fuss version.

This is a great beginner project as it uses simple stitches, one ball of yarn, but will teach a few knitting techniques along the way. You can check the glossary at the end to see the techniques and abbreviations used.

Materials: I used less than one skein of Leo and Roxy Yarn Co. Basic Fingering Yarn 465 yards/425.2 meters (actually used 83g or 386m).  This is a superwash merino/nylon blend. I recommend a superwash yarn as this will ensure a nice drape and easy care with minimal fussing. Because the stitch work is minimal you might choose a variegated yarn or a solid color.

Tools:  4 mm circular needle 32 inches long, tapestry needle, scissors, tape measure.

Gauge:  Not critical here but to ensure you have enough yarn to recreate what I made, aim for a gauge of 5.5 stitches and 8 rows equals one inch in stockinette stitch on 4mm needles.



Pattern

This cast-on uses general instructions from Holly Chayes’s book “Shawl Geometry - Part II”.  If you like knitting shawls, this is a great resource to have on hand. It and the others in her series are available in an e-book format here.  The basic cast on goes like this:


Cast on 13 stitches using your preferred method. 

Row 1:  k2, (pm, yo.k1) 4 times; pm, k1, (pm, k1, yo) 4 times, pm, k2.

Row 2: k2, purl to the last two stitches, slipping markers as you go, k2.


Stocking stitch sections

Row 1:  k2, (sm, yo, k to next marker) 4 times; sm, k1, (sm, k to nextmarker, yo) 4 times, sm, k2.

Row 2:  k2, purl to the last two stitches, slipping markers as you go, k2.

Repeat these two rows 8 times more (total of 18 rows of stocking stitch).



Hurdle Stitch Band


Row 1: k2, (sm, yo, k to next marker) 4 times, sm, k1, (sm, k to next marker, yo) 4 times, sm, k2.

Row 2: k2, sm, k to centre stitch marker, sm, p1, sm, k to last mark, sm, k2.

Row 3:  k2, (sm, yo, [k1,p1] to next marker) 4 times, sm, k1, (sm, [k1,p1] to the last stitch before next marker, k1, yo) 4 times, sm, k2.

Row 4: k2, (sm, yo, [k1,p1] to next marker) 4 times, sm, p1, (sm, [k1,p1] to the last stitch before next marker, k1, yo) 4 times, sm, k2.  (Basically you’re knitting the knit stitches and purling the purl stitches while maintaining your increases.)

Row 5: k2, (sm, yo, k to next marker) 4 times, sm, k1, (sm, k to next marker, yo) 4 times, sm, k2.

Row 6: k2, sm, k to centre stitch marker, sm, p1, sm, k to last mark, sm, k2.


These six rows make up one hurdle stitch band.


Continue working

Continue working alternating these bands of stitches (stocking stitch and hurdle stitch bands), while maintaining your increases and the centre stitch as a stocking stitch.

Work until you have a total of 397 stitches - 49 stitches in each of the eight sections separated by stitch markers, plus the selvedge and centre stitches (392 = 5 sts = 397)  Or, if you want to use more yarn or make a larger shawl, work to desired length ending with a hurdle stitch band. Be sure to reserve enough yarn for the I-cord cast off.

Tip: I count back on the WS rows to ensure I have the same number of stitches each section. As the shawl gets bigger, it helps to keep track. If you make a mistake, you have far fewer stitches to pull back!


I-Cord Bind Off

With the right side of your work facing, cast on three stitches on the end of your left hand needle.  Knit the first two stitches, then knit through the back loop (k2togbl) of the next two stitches together. Slide the three stitches now on your right needle, back to the left needle and give the yarn a gentle tug. Then repeat the process.  Each time you do, you cast off one stitch in an I-cord bind off. So, what you are doing is:

K2, k2togtbl, slide these three stitches back to the left needle and repeat.


Once you’ve cast off, secure the ends, wash and block.



Abbreviations


k - knit

p - purl

pm - place marker

sm - slip marker

yo - yarn over

k2togtbl - knit two stitches together through the back of the loops



I hope you enjoy this free pattern. Feel free to use it and share as you like.

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