So, when I swatched the angels I realized in my desire to see them knit that I put the cart before the horse and all that. Designing a garment even one like this is full of...challenges. Some are easy to overcome and others take so much math that my head begins to wonder if 2+2 still equals 4.
But this part is what I love most about designing, that challenge to make things work out and still look pretty. I love a design that has a special element or tip and trick that makes the knitter say, "Hey, that's pretty clever."
But before all that cleverness can reveal itself the trial and error and the long hours of staring at numbers to make everything work has to be completed.
The problem started when I realized how the angels pulled the fabric in a wavy sort of direction and that nothing should come after them but something should come before them. I realized this of course after I had finished the angel repeat and was all happy with myself. But that is okay.
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| look Ma, no needles :( ripping back |
These undulations add interest in the way they changed the bias of my fabric and I wanted to accent that and add to the feeling that this shawl is energized with hugs. Waves feel energetic to me and nothing is more wavy and full of little bubbles of energy than feather and fan (old shale). This pattern allows a colorway to draw the eye and adds interest.
Feather and fan uses a formula. Here is a common sample that needs 18 stitches for each section:
*K2tog 3 times, (YO, K1) 6 times, K2tog 3 times*, repeat ** across row
You could change up things a bit like this:
*K2tog 4 times, (YO, K1) 8 times, K2tog 4 times* repeat ** across row
or this:
*K2tog 5 times, (YO, K1) 10 times, K2tog 5 times* repeat ** across row
You get the idea...
We ended with 276 stitches in Panel I and that divided by 18 (a feather and fan repeat) does not divide evenly so this pattern does not work as is.
We need to increase the pattern by 18 stitches to end with a total of 294 stitches. This minus the three stitches on each end is 288 which is divisible by 12, 18, 24, and 36. This makes it a glorious starting point since all variations of how I might go forward are possible.
And at this point, my inner self told me to put off this pattern until I had worked it all out but then I couldn't figure it out with you. I couldn't be authentic and show you that ideas need to be explored and design is like tweaking a recipe so that it works for you. The first few times something may be a bit off, but add a dash of this and a tad of that, and voila! Everything meshes together and works.
The first thing I do when I'm trying to suss stuff out is to chart it or write it out. The second thing I do is knit it. Sometimes these two methods are in perfect harmony and other times, the knitting looks nothing like the vision in my head.
For Panel, I will need more stitches...I will bop back in time and put a warning not to cut your yarn. If you already have, I am sorry. I did too. If you did cut your yarn it is easy enough to add back in and secure using this method that I use a lot from Stephen West.
We will need to continue in pattern for 9 more rows to achieve our goal of 294 stitches.
I will write down the actual pattern below for panel II, this section is my thought process, trial, and error and swatching along the way.
Okay, so now we have 3, 288, 3 - this is what we wanted so now we can mark off the feather and fan.
I could break the feather and fan down in 18 stitch increments but that seemed like a lot of markers so I chose to put two repeats together for this pattern. There will be 36 stitches maintained between the markers for the feather and fan pattern.
The first row of feather and fan is a knit row so it will be easy to add markers.
Row 1: K3, pm, YO, K35 pm, *K36 pm* repeat ** until last 37 stitches, K35, YO pm, K3 - this will only be for this Row 1.
Row 2: Knit all stitches
Row 3: *K2tog 3 times, (YO, K1) 6 times, *K2tog 6 times, (YO, K1) 6 times), (YO, K1) 6 times K2tog 3 times * repeat ** across row
Row 4: Purl all stitches
As I worked up the feather and fan I needed to keep in mind that the end result would have to be divisible by 24 and I came up with 360. 360 is divisible by 18, 24, and 36! And there was much rejoicing! 😁 (These totals do not include those 6 side stitches)
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| yay! YOs line up |
The last factor in creating this pattern was to make the edge where we are doing all these increases to be pleasing to the eye. that was solved by using a repeating formula that grew each time:
Row 7: K3, YO, K1, (YO, K2tog) 2 times, K1
Row 11: K3, YO, K2, (YO, K2tog) 3 times, K2
Row 15: K3, YO, K3, (YO, K2tog) 4 times, K3
You get the idea. We reverse this for the end side of the row and edging solved.
Whew! After all that number-crunching and swatching I think it is time to begin panel II!
Thanks for holding space for me while I worked. 🤗💖
Panel II Pattern:
Continue in pattern for 9 more rows with MC:
Rows 1 - 8: K3, YO, knit until last three stitches, YO, K3
Row 9 marker set up row: K3, pm, YO, K35 pm, *K36 pm* repeat ** until last 37 stitches, K35, YO pm, K3
294 stitches
On all rows that are knit or purled in the center, I didn't use "sm"(slip marker), because it seemed very distracting.
Change to CC or keep knitting in the MC, whatever you prefer. You will need approximately 200 - 220 yards depending on how tight or loose you knit.
Row 1: K3, YO, knit to last 3 stitches, YO, K3
Row 2: K3, YO, K1, knit to last 4 stitches, K1, YO, K3
Row 3: K3, YO, K2, sm, *K2tog 3 times, (YO, K1) 6 times, K2tog 6 times, (YO, K1) 6 times, K2tog 3 times, sm* repeat ** until last marker, K2, YO, K3
Row 4: K3, YO, P3, purl to last six stitches, P3, YO, K3
Row 5: K3, YO, K4, knit to last seven stitches, K4, YO, K3
Row 6: K3, YO, K5, knit to last eight stitches, K5, YO, K3
Row 7: K3, YO, K1, (YO, K2tog) 2 times, K1, sm, *K2tog 3 times, (YO, K1) 6 times, K2tog 6 times, (YO, K1) 6 times, K2tog 3 times, sm* repeat ** until last marker, K1, (K2tog, YO) 2 times, K1, YO, K3
Row 8: K3, YO, P7, purl to last 10 stitches, P7, YO, K3
Row 9: K3, YO, K8, knit to last 11 stitches, K8, YO, K3
Row 10: K3, YO, K9, knit to last 12 stitches, K9, YO, K3
Row 11: K3, YO, K2, (YO, K2tog) 3 times, K2, sm, *K2tog 3 times, (YO, K1) 6 times, K2tog 6 times, (YO, K1) 6 times, K2tog 3 times, sm* repeat ** until last marker, K2, (K2tog, YO) 3 times, K2, YO, K3
Row 12: K3, YO, P11, purl to last 14 stitches, P11, YO, K3
Row 13: K3, YO, K12, knit to last 15 stitches, K12, YO, K3
Row 14: K3, YO, K13, knit to last 16 stitches, K13, YO, K3
Row 16: K3, YO, P15, purl to last 18 stitches, P15, YO, K3
Row 17: K3, YO, K16, knit to last 19 stitches, K16, YO, K3
On the next row, we will be creating a half repeat by adding in the 18 stitches from the edges on each side and placing new markers after the first three stitches and before the last 3 stitches.
Row 19: K3, YO, pm, K2tog 3 times, (YO, K1) 6 times, K2tog 3 times, sm, *K2tog 3 times, (YO, K1) 6 times, K2tog 6 times, (YO, K1) 6 times, K2tog 3 times, sm* repeat ** until last 21 stitches, K2tog 3 times, (YO, K1) 6 times, K2tog 3 times, pm, YO, K3
Row 20: K3, YO, P1, purl to last 4 stitches, P1, YO, K3
Row 21: K3, YO, K2, knit to last 5 stitches, K2, YO, K3
Row 22: K3, YO, K3, knit to last 6 stitches, K3, YO, K3
Row 23: K3, YO, (K2tog YO, 2 times, sm, K2tog 3 times, (YO, K1) 6 times, K2tog 3 times, sm, *K2tog 3 times, (YO, K1) 6 times, K2tog 6 times, (YO, K1) 6 times, K2tog 3 times, sm* repeat ** until last 25 stitches, K2tog 3 times, (YO, K1) 6 times, K2tog 3 times, sm, (YO, K2tog) 2 times, YO, K3
Row 24: K3, YO, P5, purl to last 8 stitches, P5, YO, K3
Row 25: K3, YO, K6, knit to last 9 stitches, K6, YO, K3
Row 26: K3, YO, K7, knit to last 10 stitches, K7, YO, K3
Row 27: K3, YO, K1, (K2tog YO), 3 times, K1, sm, K2tog 3 times, (YO, K1) 6 times, K2tog 3 times, sm, *K2tog 3 times, (YO, K1) 6 times, K2tog 6 times, (YO, K1) 6 times, K2tog 3 times, sm* repeat ** until last 29 stitches, K2tog 3 times, (YO, K1) 6 times, K2tog 3 times, sm, K1, (YO, K2tog) 3 times, K1, YO, K3
Row 28: K3, YO, P9, purl to last 12 stitches, P9, YO, K3
Row 29: K3, YO, K10, knit to last 13 stitches, K10, YO, K3
Row 30: K3, YO, K11, knit to last 14 stitches, K11, YO, K3
Row 32: K3, YO, P13, purl to last 16 stitches, P13, YO, K3
Row 33: K3, YO, K14, knit to last 17 stitches, K14, YO, K3
Time to celebrate, Panel II is fini!
As always, if you have any questions please leave them in the comments and I will respond promptly.
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Safe socially-distanced hugs 🤗
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