Porcupine Leaves
I finally wrote and published my own knitted pattern! I took Stephanie Japel’s online class, Design Your Own Shawl, and made this lovely thing~I am going to post it on Ravelry as a free pattern, BUT you need to understand that it has not been test knitted except by me:)
I made it as a full square shawl, since I had never done such a large shawl before, it can also be knitted as a triangle, and use about half the yarn. Even as a full square, it still took just under 2 skeins of Bugga! each skein is 415 yrds of yarn.
So, if you are interested in the pattern and want to knit it, and maybe give this new designer any feedback, I would be happy to hear it! Thanks
thanks again!
sorry for not posting for so long… I will HAVE to get better at it~
hope to design more things soon.
Juliblue’s ‘Porcupine Leaves’ Shawl
Method & guidance from the
Design your Own Shawl Class
by Stephanie Japel Dec 2010- Jan 2011
Yarn~Sample used 2 skeins Bugga! sock yarn, 5 ply sport weight color way Violet-Tailed Bluet
Needles~ knitted with size 5US/ 3.75mm needles
Gauge~ I usually get 20 st x 24 rw in St st on size 5US with Bugga!
Garter Tab Cast On~
Cast on 2 sts, knit 6 rows of garter stitch, the knitter turns the work 90 degrees, without casting off, and picks up 3 stitches along the long edge of the rectangle in the garter loops, and then turns the work another 90 degrees and picks up 2 stitches along the cast on edge of the work.
The number of stitches that the knitter picks up along the long edge of the rectangle will depend on how you want to set up the triangles of the shawl. This set-up is for the Big size shawl, with four triangle parts, actually a full square with a split through one side. To make half a shawl, use next set of directions for set up, I do not have st counts for the half shawl yet, I assume it would be the same in each triangle, but 2 instead of 4.
Garter stitch insert Set-Up Full Square Shawl (4 triangles):
Cast on 2 sts (I use long tailed cast on for sturdy stitches)
Knit 6 rows
Turn work 90 degrees and pick up 3 sts along garter stitch edge
Turn work 90 degrees and pick up 2 sts from cast on edge
7 total stitches on needles
Row 1(WS): k2, p3, k2
Row 2: k2, yo, k1, yo, k1, yo, k1, yo k2 (11 sts)
The K1 stitches in row 2 will become the raglan increase stitch (spines) marking each lace section, and will signify the beginning or end of a charted section. You may wish to place stitch markers on one or both sides of these stitches.
Row 3: k2, p7, k2
Row 4: k2 [yo, k1] 7 times, yo, k2 (19 sts)
Row 5: k2, p15, k2 (WS)
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Begin Chart A at RS
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Garter stitch Set-Up for Half Square Shawl (2 Triangles):
Cast on 2 sts
Knit 6 rows
Turn work 90 degrees and pick up 3 sts along garter stitch edge
Turn work 90 degrees and pick up 2 sts from cast on edge
7 total stitches
Row 1(WS): k2, p3, k2
Row 2: k2, yo, k1, yo, k1, yo, k1, yo k2 (11 sts)
Row 3: k2, p7, k2
The K1 stitches row 2 will become the raglan increase stitch (spine) for the shawl, and will signify the beginning or end of a charted lace section. You may wish to mark these stitches with a stitch marker on one or both sides.
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Chart A (Rows 1-12)
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~All sections have K2 at the edges for garter stitch edging, do not slip edge stitches
this direction is not repeated in the written directions but implied~
*directions between asterisks is always the lace repeat* for that row/ section of triangle
Row 1(RS): * (YO, K1, YO)*, repeat to center sts, K1
Row 2 & 4; all even numbered WS rows: P all stitches, being careful to P all YO
Row 3: * (YO, K1) x3, YO* repeat to center st K1
Row 5: *(YO, K1, YO, K2tog, K1, SSK, YO, K1, YO)* at center sts, K1
Row 7: *(YO, K1) x 3, sl 1-K2tog-psso, (K1, YO) x 3 * at center sts, K1
Row 9: * (YO, K1, YO, K2tog, K1, SSK) x 2 * repeat, YO, K1, YO to center st, K1
Row 11: * (YO, K1) x 3, K3tog, K1, (YO, K1) x 2, K3tog, (K1, YO) x 3 * repeat to center st, K1
Row 12: P all
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Chart B (Rows 13-16) repeat 15 times
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Row 13 (RS): YO, K1, YO, K2tog, K1, SSK, * (YO, K1, YO, K2tog, K1, SSK) * repeat until one st to edge, YO, K1, YO, center st
Row 14 & 16 (WS): P all except edging ~special note ADD one stitch somewhere on row 16, I added it at the center middle spine….
Row 15: (YO, K1) x 3, K3tog, K1 * ( YO, K1, YO, K1, K3tog, K1) * repeat to last 2 sts, YO, K1, YO, K1, YO, to center st or edge
The stitch count should look like this after 15 repeats of the four-triangle shawl –
2 edge sts, 115 triangle, 1 spine, 115 triangle, 1 spine, 115 triangle, 1 spine, 115 triangle, 2 edge
Total of 467 stitches + the ONE added stitch in LAST row 16 = 468 stitches
This sets up the count for 39 repeats of the Porcupine Stitch 468/12 (+4)= 468. Returning to the RS of the Shawl, we begin Row 1 of the new pattern~
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Chart C (repeat x2)
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Row 1: K2(edge sts) * YO, K2tog,* repeat to last two edge sts K2 (ignore the spine sts now, they become part of the pattern, I left the markers in to let me know where I was in my knitting, just moved them as needed)
Row 2 & 4: K2 (edge sts) Purl to last 2 sts K2
Row 3: Knit all
Row 5: At this row, there are NO MORE K2 at either edge of shawl, include these sts in the pattern for all consecutive rows
*sl 1-K2tog-psso, K4, YO, K1, YO, K4 * to end and also eat up edge sts in the pattern at the end of row
Row 6: * P3tog, P4, YO, P1, YO, P4* repeat to end
Row 7: *P3tog, P4, YO, P1, YO, P4* repeat to end
Row 8: * sl1-K2tog-psso, K4, YO, K1, YO, K4 * repeat to end
Row 9: * P3tog, P4, YO, P1, YO, P4 * repeat to end
Knit rows 1-9 as written above again exactly as written
BO in your favorite Bind Off
I used Jenny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off for my Bind Off. There are a few tutorials online, on Knitty, etc, to show/tell you how. Then I soaked, towel dried, and wire blocked the shawl on my couch for two days. Weave in any loose ends.
Shawl Blocking Measures ~Neckline to longest point at shoulders: 34” Across entire top edge points included ~ 60”
A closer look if needed:
and lastly a close up of the top chart~
ALSO I have posted the pics of the charts on my flickr acct~ mermaidbluestar
if that is a better place to print/ see/ copy the charts from for you
