Autumn On The River

Autumn has come to the river. The cool morning mists smoke over the hills, shrouding them in frost that steams when the slow sun finally hits them. Most of the leaves have fallen. Only a few purple oaks still hold their summer mantle, turned brittle and faded in the failing light. The water is speckled with leaves that choke the eddies swirling against the banks before tumbling over the waterfall in the middle of the park. …and then one morning there is a hard frost, and then another, and ice forms again on the surface of the river.

This shawl uses worsted weight yarn and traditional Faroese shaping to make an easy to wear, dramatically large, and snuggly warm wrap suitable for late autumn ramblings. Worked from the top down over three panels, the shawl ends with an easily memorized knitted on border in a contrasting colour. This pattern requires some skill, as there is lace work and cables done on both right and wrong sides of the fabric with no resting rows.

Materials Needed:

- 5mm (US 8) long circular needle or size needed for gauge

- @690 yards main colour worsted weight yarn

- @280 yards contrast colour worsted weight yarn

- cable needle

- darning needle for weaving in ends

Optional Materials:

- 2 stitch markers to mark off center panel

- 2 stitch markers to mark off 3 stitch borders

- 22 additional stitch markers to mark off motif repeats

Instructions

Instructions are both fully written and fully charted. There are written notes accompanying the charts for clarification of the cast on sections.

A Note On Gauge

I do not consider gauge to be particularly important for a lace shawl. Instead, find the size of needles that gives you a fabric you like. If your gauge is significantly larger (fewer stitches per inch) than suggested, be certain to have extra yarn on hand.