Gweneira shawl : Knitty Winter 2011

by Susanna IC

Nature in any season can be the most amazing artist, starting with the incredible variety of greens in early spring and the brilliant colors of autumn foliage to the stark beauty of winter landscape. Shimmery icicles, like beads, adorn the bare tree branches, which form complex lace against the winter sky and even snow is often sculpted by wind into beautiful shapes. These graceful shapes are the inspiration for Gweneira’s softly flowing cables.

Gweneira is a generously sized shawl worked in a luscious alpaca yarn reminiscent of freshly fallen snow. It is knitted in one piece starting at the outside edge of the cables. A set of short rows gives the shawl its unique crescent shape, which helps the shawl stay in place without the need for a shawl pin. The brushed suri yarn is next-to-skin soft and it feels almost weightless, yet it is warm enough even for the coldest winter day.

model: Vendula Z

photos: Peter C

SIZE
One

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Length at center: 20 inches
Width: 60 inches

MATERIALS
Yarn
Blue Sky Alpacas Brushed Suri [67% baby suri alpaca, 22% merino wool, 11% bamboo; 142yd/130m per 50g skein]; color: #900 Whipped Cream; 5 skeins

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
1 40-inch US #7/4.5mm circular needle

Notions
Cable needle
Stitch markers
Yarn needle

GAUGE

13 sts/20 rows = 4" in stockinette st, after blocking

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

C6BDec: Sl 4 sts to cable needle and hold to back of work; k3 from left needle, [k2tog, k2] from cable needle.

C7FDec: Sl 4 sts to cable needle and hold to front of work; [k2tog, k2] from left needle, k4 from cable needle.

C7BDec: Sl 4 sts to cable needle and hold to back of work; k4 from left needle, [k2tog, k2] from cable needle.

C8FDec: Sl 4 sts to cable needle and hold to front of work; [k2tog, k3] from left needle, k4 from cable needle.

C9BDec: Sl 5 sts to cable needle and hold to back of work; k5 from left needle, [k2tog, k3] from cable needle.

C9FDec: Sl 5 sts to cable needle and hold to front of work; [k2tog, k3] from left needle, k5 from cable needle.

C10B: Sl 5 sts to cable needle and hold to back of work; k5 from left needle, k5 from cable needle.

C10F: Sl 5 sts to cable needle and hold to front of work; k5 from left needle, k5 from cable needle.

Charts
The chart for this pattern is very large and fits on a letter-sized page.
Click here and print the resulting page.

DIRECTIONS
CO 359 sts. Do not join; shawl is worked back and forth in rows.

Work Rows 1-64 of chart.

Outlined pattern repeat section will be worked 21 times in each row. 233 sts remain when all rows are complete.

Shape shawl body using short rows as follows:

Row 1 [RS]: [P2, k9] 11 times, p1. Turn work.

Row 2 [WS]: Sl 1, p9, k1. Turn work.

Row 3 [RS]: Sl 1, k9, p2tog, k3. Turn work.

Row 4 [WS]: Sl 1, p2, k1, p9, ssk, p6. Turn work.

Row 5 [RS]: Sl 1, k5, place marker, p1, k9, p1, place marker, k2, k2tog, k5, p1. Turn work.

Row 6 [WS]: Sl 1, p8, slip marker, k1, p9, k1, slip marker, p5, p2tog, p2, k1. Turn work.

Row 7 [RS]: Sl 1, k8, slip marker, p1, k9, p1, slip marker, k8, p2tog, k3. Turn work.

Row 8 [WS]: Sl 1, p2, k1, p8, slip marker, k1, p9, k1, slip marker, p8, ssk, p6. Turn work.

Row 9 [RS]: Sl 1, k5, p1, k8, slip marker, p1, k9, p1, slip marker, k8, p1, k2, k2tog, k5, p1. Turn work.

Row 10 [WS]: Sl 1, p8, k1, p8, slip marker, k1, p9, k1, slip marker, p8, k1, p5, p2tog, p2, k1. Turn work.

Row 11 [RS]: Sl 1, k8, p1, k8, slip marker, p1, k9, p1, slip marker, k8, p1, k8, p2tog, k3. Turn work.

Row 12 [WS]: Sl 1, p2, [k1, p8] twice, slip marker, k1, p9, k1, slip marker, p8, k1, p8, ssk, p6. Turn work.

Row 13 [RS]: Sl 1, k5, [p1, k8] twice, slip marker, p1, k9, p1, slip marker, [k8, p1] twice, k2, k2tog, k5, p1. Turn work.

Row 14 [WS]: Sl 1, p8, [k1, p8] twice, slip marker, k1, p9, k1, slip marker, [p8, k1] twice, p5, p2tog, p2, k1. Turn work.

Row 15 [RS]: Sl 1, k8, [p1, k8] twice, slip marker, p1, k9, p1, slip marker, [k8, p1] twice, k8, p2tog, k3. Turn work.

Row 16 [WS]: Sl 1, p2, [k1, p8] three times, slip marker, k1, p9, k1, slip marker, [p8, k1] twice, p8, ssk, p6. Turn work.

Row 17 [RS]: Sl 1, k5, [p1, k8] three times, slip marker, p1, k9, p1, slip marker, [k8, p1] three times, k2, k2tog, k5, p1. Turn work.

Row 18 [WS]: Sl 1, p8, [k1, p8] three times, slip marker, k1, p9, k1, slip marker, [p8, k1] three times, p5, p2tog, p2, k1. Turn work.

Row 19 [RS]: Sl 1, k8, [p1, k8] three times, slip marker, p1, k9, p1, slip marker, [k8, p1] three times, k8, p2tog, k3. Turn work.

Row 20 [WS]: Sl 1, p2, [k1, p8] four times, slip marker, k1, p9, k1, slip marker,
[p8, k1] three times, p8, ssk, p6. Turn work.

Row 21 [RS]: Sl 1, k5, [p1, k8] four times, slip marker, p1, k9, p1, slip marker,
[k8, p1] four times, k2, k2tog, k5, p1. Turn work.

Row 22 [WS]: Sl 1, p8, [k1, p8] four times, slip marker, k1, p9, k1, slip marker,
[p8, k1] four times, p5, p2tog, p2, k1. Turn work.

Row 23 [RS]: Sl 1, k8, [p1, k8] four times, slip marker, p1, k9, p1, slip marker, [k8, p1] four times, k8, p2tog, k3. Turn work.

Row 24 [WS]: Sl 1, p2, [k1, p8] five times, slip marker, k1, p9, k1, slip marker, [p8, k1] four times, p8, ssk, p6. Turn work.

Row 25 [RS]: Sl 1, k5, [p1, k8] five times, slip marker, p1, k9, p1, slip marker, [k8, p1] five times, k2, k2tog, k5, p1. Turn work.

Row 26 [WS]: Sl 1, p8, [k1, p8] five times, slip marker, k1, p9, k1, slip marker, [p8, k1] five times, p5, p2tog, p2, k1. Turn work.

Row 27 [RS]: Sl 1, k8, [p1, k8] five times, slip marker, p1, k9, p1, slip marker, [k8, p1] five times, k8, p2tog, k3. Turn work.

Row 28 [WS]: Sl 1, p2, [k1, p8] six times, slip marker, k1, p9, k1, slip marker, [p8, k1] five times, p8, ssk, p6. Turn work.

Row 29 [RS]: Sl 1, k5, [p1, k8] six times, slip marker, p1, k9, p1, slip marker, [k8, p1] six times, k2, k2tog, k5, p1. Turn work.

Row 30 [WS]: Sl 1, p8, [k1, p8] six times, slip marker, k1, p9, k1, slip marker, [p8, k1] six times, p5, p2tog, p2, k1. Turn work.

Row 31 [RS]: Sl 1, k8, [p1, k8] six times, slip marker, p1, k9, p1, slip marker, [k8, p1] six times, k8, p2tog, k3. Turn work.

Row 32 [WS]: Sl 1, p2, [k1, p8] seven times, slip marker, k1, p9, k1, slip marker, [p8, k1] six times, p8, ssk, p6. Turn work.

Row 33 [RS]: Sl 1, k5, [p1, k8] seven times, slip marker, p1, k9, p1, slip marker, [k8, p1] seven times, k2, k2tog, k5, p1. Turn work.

Row 34 [WS]: Sl 1, p8, [k1, p8] seven times, slip marker, k1, p9, k1, slip marker, [p8, k1] seven times, p5, p2tog, p2, k1. Turn work.

Row 35 [RS]: Sl 1, k8, [p1, k8] seven times, slip marker, p1, k9, p1, slip marker, [k8, p1] seven times, k8, p2tog, k3. Turn work.

Row 36 [WS]: Sl 1, p2, [k1, p8] eight times, slip marker, k1, p9, k1, slip marker, [p8, k1] seven times, p8, ssk, p6. Turn work.

Row 37 [RS]: Sl 1, k5, [p1, k8] eight times, slip marker, p1, k9, p1, slip marker, [k8, p1] eight times, k2, k2tog, k5, p1. Turn work.

Row 38 [WS]: Sl 1, p8, [k1, p8] eight times, slip marker, k1, p9, k1, slip marker, [p8, k1] eight times, p5, p2tog, p2, k1. Turn work.

Row 39 [RS]: Sl 1, k8, [p1, k8] eight times, slip marker, p1, k9, p1, slip marker, [k8, p1] eight times, k8, p2tog, k3. Turn work.

Row 40 [WS]: Sl 1, p2, [k1, p8] nine times, slip marker, k1, p9, k1, slip marker, [p8, k1] eight times, p8, ssk, p6. Turn work.

Row 41 [RS]: Sl 1, k5, [p1, k8] nine times, slip marker, p1, k9, p1, slip marker, [k8, p1] nine times, k2, k2tog, k5, p2.

Row 42 [WS]: K2, p8, [k1, p8] nine times, slip marker, k1, p9, k1, slip marker, [p8, k1] nine times, p5, p2tog, p2, k2. 193 sts.

BO Row [RS]: [P2tog, sl st from right needle back to left needle] until all sts have been bound off.

FINISHING
Weave in ends. Block lightly, if desired.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Susanna IC currently lives in Germany with her husband, two sons, eleven fish and countless balls of yarn. Besides a background in fashion design, she has a Master’s degree in art history and a Bachelor’s in studio arts, all of which continue to inspire much of her knitting.

Her projects and designs can be found on Ravelry, user name zuzusus, and at ArtQualia.com.