Bridal Shawl pattern, Part I

Hi, Everyone,

It's a cool Thursday evening in San Diego, too cool for spring, and I'm at home keeping warm, drinking herbal tea and waiting for my potatoes au gratin to come out of the oven.  Rossini's clarinet variations are playing on XLNC.com.  I went swimming with Heather today so I got a chance to move all my joints and I feel good.  I'm knitting on a pair of socks for Heather.  Dan says I have a sign on my forehead that reads, "Will knit for food", LOL.  You guys know me by now that I'm always knitting something, unless of course, I'm crocheting or blogging.

Ok, now that all the excitement over the shawl has stepped down a notch to a low roar, I need to write up the pattern for the bridal shawl so you can all knit one!  Needles to the ready position, get set, GO!

Shannon's Bridal Shawl

This shawl is a semi-circle of Lily of the Valley lace with an edging of hearts and simple points.    When knitting the center portion, the edges have a 4 stitch (8 row) garter edging.     The "extra" first and last K2tog are for the shaping of the shawl.    Every right side row will decrease by 2 until row 148, then each right side row will decrease by 4 until about 48 stitches remain.    The ending border is knit 8 rows garter.    The outer pointed edge is picked up from the garter edges and knit outward in 2 sections, the straight edge first and then the curved edge.   The corners are mitered.   The bind off uses a doubled thread for strength during blocking.    Beads are attached to the points during the bind off row.    The shawl is wet blocked severely.    After blocking and then stitching the corner seams first, bead tassels are added to the 2 end points.   The weight of the beads holds the feathery lace down in position when worn.    Otherwise it floats about in the air as it pleases, as the shawl weighs next to nothing.  I drew the finished shawl, beads and all, through my wedding ring, the traditional test of fineness in a wedding shawl.

Materials:

1 ball white 100 % wool very fine lace weight, I used Skacel's Merino Lace, 100 g, 1375 yards (!).   If you decide to use non-wool, make sure it will block out nicely, swatching is your very best friend.   Some synthetics do not block out.

1  40 inch size 4 circular needle, I used an Addi Turbo Lace, sharp points a must for nupps!  Crystal Palace also has very long sharp points.

about 25 markers, I used safety pins without coils

beads as desired to decorate the points of the lace

large eyed needle to sew the little corner seams and attach the tassels 

The circular needle is to accommodate the large number of stitches, we will be knitting flat, back and forth.

Size: 8 feet long and 32 inches wide at the widest point.

Gauge: 4 stitches to the inch after blocking.  Making a small swatch of the pattern stitch and then wet blocking it is a good idea. You will be able to practice a few nupps before beginning the actual shawl and you can adjust needle size if needed to produce the right size shawl. 

I finished writing up the pattern in a more proper form and now offer it on Ravelry at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/search?query=Julie+Lanner

Let's talk about the next part tomorrow.  This is making me tired.  Even Lilo is yawning.  She approves of pure white bridal lace shawls, BTW, being a specialist in the area of pure, white lovely-ness herself.

This blog editor is running amuck, putting things from the end of the sentences to the beginning of the line without me asking.   Wacky time.   Ok, all fixed, sigh, time to turn in.

G'nite

Julie