Cartouche Stole

I was paging through Japanese stitch dictionaries and found the main pattern used in this shawl.  It reminded me of an Egyptian cartouche and I visualized it in a deeper vibrant red.  That design, the Cartouche Shawl, was published in Knitty, Winter 2011.

I received a number of requests for a rectangular version using these stitch patterns.  The Cartouche Stole is worked in two sections, beginning with a provisional cast on in the centre back. The stitch patterns flow seamlessly one into another.  To accomplish this, transitional charts are used.  These are marked as such and must be followed with extra care as stitch patterns are altered to flow into the next design.


Skills Required:

• Increasing and decreasing
• Following charts
• Cables
• Lace
• Blocking

Yarn: 1,460 (2,281) yards/1,335 (2,086) meters of merino or wool fingering weight yarn that knits up to 8 sts/inch.


Shown In: Medium - Koigu ‘Lace Merino’, (292 yards/267 meters; 100% merino; 1.76 oz/50 grams per skein), 5 skeins in L3011.


Finished Size (stretched and blocked):
Medium Stole – 16.25”/41.28 cm wide by 67”/170.18 cm long
Large Stole – 22.5”/57.15 cm wide by 84”/213 cm long


Other Tools:

• Stitch markers 11 (14)
• Cable needles (2)
• Waste yarn
• Tapestry needle
• Blocking tools