One for Sorrow Shawl

The corvidae family of birds – including crows, ravens, and magpies – have been imbued with a variety of meaning and symbolism from culture to culture. In much of Europe and colonial North America, these birds are often associated with evil, vanity, and mischievous intent, seen as touched with the Devil’s blood and harbingers of death, misfortune and skulduggery. At the same time, magpies are viewed in some Eastern cultures as bearers of joy and good news. An old folklore rhyme for counting crows or magpies – “one for sorrow, two for joy…” – has nearly as many variations as superstitions about the birds themselves.

One for Sorrow is a modified triangular shawlette knit using double “wingtip” increases on each outer edge, resulting in a wide but shallow scarf, perfect for transitional seasons – and for using up a standard sock set! The lace pattern, reminiscent of feathers, is an easy 10-stitch repeat with some simple colourwork to transition from one colour to the next, and a picot bind off adds extra sweetness.

Finished dimensions 

50” (127 cm) wide, 18” (46 cm) deep

Materials 

Fingering weight yarn, in two colours:

• MC: 400 yds (365 m)
• CC: 100 yds (70 m)

Yarn used in sample:
 
Emily C Gillies Merino Sock (80% superwash merino / 20% nylon; 420 yds / 115g) in Teal’s a Party (MC) and Velvet Underground (CC)

US4 (3.5mm) knitting needles 
2 stitch markers
tapestry needle

Gauge 

22 sts x 32 rows = 4” (10 cm) square in lace pattern, after blocking

Techniques used

• stranded colourwork
• centred double decreases
• picot bind off