Lace Sampler Shawl
Tricot / Knitting

This shawl is a great way to try out several lace patterns and colors of yarn to see if you like knitting them and to see how they look next to each other. By using a variety of patterns, the finished shawl is much more interesting than a lace shawl worked in a single repeat.

It is easy to make your own design of your favourite lace patterns by just lining up several repeats and working them into a large strip of knitting.

To make a gradual change from one skein to the next when using different colored skeins, as I did, when you have worked almost all the yarn of the first skein, you can gradually change to the color of the new skein by switching skeins of yarn every few rows, then every row, then every few rows again, then working only with the new color.

Finally, blocking is the key to making your lace look light and airy. The further you stretch your lace when blocking, the lacier effect you will achieve.

Finished measurements  

22" wide by 60" with two skeins of yarn, or 90" with three

Materials list

3 different colors (A, B, C) of 55 yd. skeins of lace weight variegated yarn.

Size 6 needles (14" long or circulars)

Stitch markers (m)

For blocking: Straight pins, clean white sheet, large carpeted area to pin finished piece.

Gauge

In stockinette stitch stretched for lace, 16 sts and 24 rows = 4"

Yarn used for samples shown

Mountain Colors Bearfoot (60% super-wash wool/25% mohair/15% nylon, 350 yd., 3.5 oz.),

colors: one skein each of Wildfl ower (A), Crazy Woman (B), and Winter Sky (C).

Notes

You don’t have to use stitch markers, but it helps to know when each pattern repeat begins and ends so you can keep track of your patterns and catch any errors right away.

Instructions

Using A, CO 87 sts.

Row 1 and 2: Knit.

Row 3: Following the chart or line by line instructions, work row 3, placing stitch markers (m) between each pattern sequence. Work through row 18, then repeat rows 3–18 until you have about 16 yards of yarn left.

Continuing in patt, work one row in B, two rows in A, one row in B, two rows in A. Work one row in B, one row in A, one row in B, one row in A. Work two rows in B, one row in A, two rows in B, one row in A.

Continue with B until you have about 8 yards left.

Repeat the same color change from color B to C as you did for color A to B. Continue with C until you have about 3 yards left. Knit two rows, BO loosely. Weave in ends.

Line by line instructions:

Row 3: K2togtb, yo, k2togtb, k3, pm, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k2, k2togtb, k2tog, k2, yo, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, pm, k2, yo, k7, k2togtb, k7, k2tog, k7, yo, k4, yo, k2tog, pm, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k2, k2togtb, k2tog, k2, yo, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, pm, k3, k2tog, yo, k2tog - 85 sts.

Row 4: K6, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, p8, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), p33, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, p8, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), k6.

Row 5: K2togtb, yo, k2togtb, k2, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k2, k2togtb, k2tog, k2, yo, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), k2togtb, yo, k1, yo, k7, k2togtb, k5, k2tog, k7, yo, k5, yo, k2tog, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k2, k2togtb, k2tog, k2, yo, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), k2, k2tog, yo, k2tog - 83 sts.

Row 6: K5, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, p8, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), p33, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, p8, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), k5.

Row 7: K2togtb, yo, k2togtb, k1, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k2, k2togtb, k2tog, k2, yo, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), k2togtb, yo, k2, yo, k7, k2togtb, k3, k2tog, k7, yo, k6, yo, k2tog, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k2, k2togtb, k2tog, k2, yo, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k2tog - 81 sts.

Row 8: K4, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, p8, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), p33, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, p8, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), k4.

Row 9: K2togtb, yo, k2togtb, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k2, k2togtb, k2tog, k2, yo, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), k2togtb, yo, k3, yo, k7, k2togtb, k1, k2tog, k7, yo, k7, yo, k2tog, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k2, k2togtb, k2tog, k2, yo, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), k2tog, yo, k2tog - 79 sts.

Row 10: K3, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, p8, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), p33, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, p8, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), k3.

Row 11: K1, yo, k2, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k2, k2togtb, k2tog, k2, yo, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), k2togtb, yo, k4, yo, k7, k2togtb, k7, k2tog, k7, yo, k2, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k2, k2togtb, k2tog, k2, yo, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), k2, yo, k1 - 81 sts.

Row 12: K4, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, p8, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), p33, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, p8, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), k4.

Row 13: K1, yo, k3, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k2, k2togtb, k2tog, k2, yo, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), k2togtb, yo, k5, yo, k7, k2togtb, k5, k2tog, k7, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k2, k2togtb, k2tog, k2, yo, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), k3, yo, k1 - 83 sts.

Row 14: K5, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, p8, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), p33, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, p8, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), k5.

Row 15: K1, yo, k4, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k2, k2togtb, k2tog, k2, yo, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), k2togtb, yo, k6, yo, k7, k2togtb, k3, k2tog, k7, yo, k2, yo, k2tog, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k2, k2togtb, k2tog, k2, yo, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), k4, yo, k1 - 85 sts.

Row 16: K6, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, p8, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), p33, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, p8, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), k6.

Row 17: K1, yo, k5, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k2, k2togtb, k2tog, k2, yo, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), k2togtb, yo, k7, yo, k7, k2togtb, k1, k2tog, k7, yo, k3, yo, k2tog, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k2, k2togtb, k2tog, k2, yo, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), k5, yo, k1 - 87 sts.

Row 18: K7, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, p8, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), p33, (m), k1, k2tog, yo, k3, p8, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, (m), k7.

Blocking

Using warm water, dampen the knitting. Roll in a clean dry towel to remove excess moisture. Stretch the shawl across a large fl at surface, such as carpeting covered with a clean sheet, pinning the scarf at each point along the sides and shaping the ends. Continue stretching the knitting and straightening it so it is even and approximately the finished dimensions. Let dry, then remove pins.