– a beginner knitting tutorial

   “I can tell you – it’s a wonderful shawl” quote Miss Fluffy

This beginner shawl pattern is made with inspiration from the traditional Faroese shawls.

WARNING: New technical term may occur. Don’t panic just contact me and I’ll see if I can help you.

It’s designed to be easy for beginner knitters. All you need to know about knitting is how to cast on and how to knit. If you don’t know yet then take a look at Instagram where I have some simple knitting videos.

You need:

• A circular knitting needle
• Yarn
• 2 place marker (plastic rings to mark where to decrease) and a needle.

I used some nice sustainable yarn, Icelandic Lett Lopi yarn, which was leftovers from the sweaters I made for Christmas – using the stash is allways sustainable! I added some grey wool and a silke yarn for the lace edging. This shawl is knitted from the top down, so you can make it as small or as big as you want it.

I used:

• 200 gr Lett Lopi in dark brown and off-white. (50 g(1.7 oz) approx.100 m  (109  yd). This yarn made the shawl light like a feather.
• Approx 100 gram of the other yarns.
• Cicular knitting needle size 7 mm

Shawl Knitting Pattern for beginners

Cast on 3 stitches, put a place marker on the needle, cast on 20 stitches, put a place marker on the needle, cast on 3 stitches.

1.row. Knit and just move the place marker from one side of the needle to the other, when you get to them.

2.row. Purl. (or knit if you prefer that – I don’t have a purl video yet)

3. row. Knit 1, increase 1, knit 2, increase 1, move the place marker, knit 20, move the place marker, increase 1, knit 2, increase 1, knit one.

How to increase? I have a small video right here

 4. row. Purl.

5. row: Knit 1, increase 1, knit to the placemarker, increase 1 before the place marker, knit to the next place marker, increase 1 after the place marker.

Continue knitting until the shawl is big enough (Warming! Can a shawl ever get big enough?!) for you to start start the lace edge.

Lace knitted edge

Don’t panic! Laces aren’t that difficult.

In this pattern I wanted it to be like oxygen bubbling to the surface and not that strict. So here we go:

1 purl row: 1 purl, *1 yarn over, 2 purl together, 1 purl* end with a purl.

On the following knit row you just make sure you have 20 stitches in the between the place makers.

2. purl row: 1 Purl, shift the pattern a bit so you don’t get the holes in the lace right above each other.

When the edge is big enough you one knit row and then a purl row where you knit: 1 purl, *1 yarn over, 2 purl together* end with a purl.

Then knit one row and a purl row. Cast off.

Get a needle, bend the last lace row up and stitch it carefully. Fasten the yarn ends.

Wash the shawl in lukewarm water and let it dry flat on a towl. When it dry, steam it, be careful so you don’t iron it.

Voilà: a beuatiful shawl to keep you warm.

Oh did I leave something out? Yes, I desided to make two row of lace pattern to soften the change of colors. The a purl row I knitted like this: 1 purl, *1 yo, 2 purl together* and end with 1 purl.

The picot edge is a simple picot crochet edge:

US: Start by single crochet (sc) all around the shawl.

Next round:  start with 1 sc , *3 chain stitch (cs), 1 sc in 1.st chain stitch, skip 1 st, 1 sc  in next stitch*, repeat *-* all around the shawl. End with a slip stitch. Cut the yarn and weave in ends

UK: Start by double crochet (dc) all around the shawl.

Next round:  start with 1 dc , *3 chain stitch (cs), 1 dc in 1.st chain stitch, skip 1 st, 1 dc  in next stitch*, repeat *-* all around the shawl. End with a slip stitch. Cut the yarn and weave in ends