If you’re a chart person, you should totally use this fabulous chart!
Errata: If you printed this out the first day it was up (8/23/07) , there was an typo in line 14 of the lace pattern (it said P2 instead of P1), with the same error in the setup row (fixed 9/18). The setup row is the same as of 14, but when I fixed the typo in the pattern, I neglected to fix it in the setup row. I’ve also added clarification to the beginning/ending rows for the scarf variation. (Thanks for your help, everyone. It’s my first all-over lace pattern, so I’m not terribly adept at spotting typos. Maybe I should switch to charts–suddenly I understand their appeal.)
Finally, I cleaned up/clarified the ending section on 10/19.
This self-striping sock yarn has a dark brown base with layers of green, yellow, and orange, for a rich, woodsy pallette perfect for a nice leaf patten from a vintage knitting pamphlet. Since I only had one ball, and since I got it at last year’s TNNA and had little hope of finding another from the same dye lot, I was delighted to be able to squeeze a whole shawl out of a single skein. While it’s not skimpy, it is on the dainty side, but if you have an extra skein, you could get a much more generous wrap. If you want it wider, cast on an extra 12 st for each extra double column of leaves (each set adds 2.5-3″/7cm in width). If you want a long scarf instead, start by CO 41 st and work the beginning/ending rows in 1×1 rib, starting with K (instead of K2 at beg & end, you’ll have K1)
Yarn: 1 skein Lana Grossa Mega Boots Stretch Soft Color, color 502 (460yd, 100 grams, 70% Pure New Wool,23% Nylon, 7% Elite Elastic Fiber)
Needles: US 6
Finished, Blocked Size: 21″/53cm x 40″/102cm
Notes: Due to differences in individual tension, it’s difficult to specify exactly how many repeats you’ll need. I use this trick to gauge how much yarn I’m using:
About 8 rows in (or at any wider section–this pattern undulates, so to be safe, measure at the wider portion), I hold my needles in my left hand and pull out enough yarn from the skein to reach my right hand with my arms outspread. Then I tie a slip knot at the end of that length. I repeat it a few more times. Then I knit a row as usual, making a note of how many slipknots I pass, and how far between the next set my knitting takes me. I usually repeat it a few times over the course of the project to make sure it’s accurate.
When I’m nearing the end of the skein, I unwind the remaining yarn and measure it with armslengths to figure out how many rows I have left in the skein, and always allowing at least one extra row’s worth as wiggle room.
ABBREVIATIONS
BO: bind off
CO: cast on
K: knit
K2tog: knit two stitches together as one
P: purl
SKP: Slip 1 knitwise, Knit 1, Pass the slipped stitch over the knit stitch
SK2P: Slip 1 knitwise, K2tog, Pass the slipped stitch over the K2tog
YO: yarn over
PATTERN
It helps me to have a sense of the pattern to get a handle on it. Here’s how this one goes. Each leaf is flares out along a central knit stitch with 3 stacked pairs of YOs flanked with a growing number or knit stitches, then tapers back to a point with a series of SKP/K2togs flanking a decreasing number of knit stitches. The point is formed with a SK2P. You’ll be working the bottom/fat/YO half of one leaf as you work the top/tapered/dec half of the adjacent, staggered leaf, so as one leaf flares to the maximum, the adjacent leaf with be tapering to its point. A gutter of 2 purls separates the staggered columns of leaves.
All the action happens on the right side. The wrong side is worked in pattern, with YOs always being purled.
I’ve noted the net change (e.g, 4 YO – 2 dec st = net +2) for each row that causes a stitch count change in the subsequent row.
Row 1 (RS): P2, YO, K1, YO, P2, *SKP, K3, K2tog, P2, YO, K1, YO, P2, repeat from * to end. (net change: +2)
Rows 2 and 12: K2, P3, K2, *P5, K2, P3, K2, repeat from * to end.
Row 3: P2, K1, YO, K1, YO, K1, P2, *SKP, K1, K2tog, P2, K1, YO, K1, YO, K1, P2, repeat from * to end. (net change: +2)
Rows 4 and 10: K2, P5, K2, *P3, K2, P5, K2, repeat from * to end.
Row 5: P2, K2, YO, K1, YO, K2, P2, *SK2P, P2, K2, YO, K1, YO, K2, P2, repeat from * to end. (net change: +2)
Row 6: K2, P7, K2, *P1, K2, P7, K2, repeat from * to end.
Row 7: P2, *K7, P5, repeat from *, end with K7, P2.
Row 8: K2, *P7, K5, repeat from *, end with P7, K2.
Row 9: P2, SKP, K3, K2tog, P2, *YO, K1, YO, P2, SKP, K3, K2tog, P2, repeat from * to end. (net change: -2)
Row 11: P2, SKP, K1, K2tog, P2, *K1, YO, K1, YO, K1, P2, SKP, K1, K2tog, P2, repeat from * to end. (net change: -2)
Row 13: P2, SK2P, P2, *K2, YO, K1, YO, K2, P2, SK2P, P2, repeat from * to end. (net change: -2)
Row 14: K2, P1, K2, *P7, K2, P1, K2, repeat from * to end.
Row 15: P5, *K7, P5, repeat from * to end.
Row 16: K5, *P7, K5, repeat from * to end.
INSTRUCTIONS
CO 89.
Edge:
K2, *P1, K1, repeat from * to 2 st from end, K2. Work following row in pattern.
Pattern set-up row (WS): K2, P1, K2, *P7, K2, P1, K2, repeat from * to end.
Begin pattern, repeating until you have 12 extra rows’ worth of yarn worth remaining. (I had enough to work 12 repeats before my ending section.)
Ending section:
Row 1 (RS): P2, M1, K1, M1, P2, *SKP, K3, K2tog, P2, M1, K1, M1, P2, repeat from * to end.
Row 2: K2, P3, K2, *P5, K2, P3, K2, repeat from * to end.
Row 3: P2, K1, M1, K1, M1, K1, P2, *SKP, K1, K2tog, P2, K1, M1, K1, M1, K1, P2, repeat from * to end.
Rows 4: K2, P5, K2, *P3, K2, P5, K2, repeat from * to end.
Row 5: P2, K2, M1, K1, M1, K2, P2, *SK2P, P2, K2, M1, K1, M1, K2, P2, repeat from * to end.
Row 6: K2, P7, K2, *P1, K2, P7, K2, repeat from * to end.
Row 7: P2, *K7, P5, repeat from *, end with K7, P2.
Row 8: K2, *P1, K1, repeat from * to 2 st from end, K2.
Work following row in pattern (knitting the knits and purling the purls), then BO.
Wet block to approx 21 x 40″.
Such a pretty girl.
so awesome thanks for the pattern that is so Lovely.
Amy
I have a quick question about your pattern when you M1 are you doing the EZ reverse loop M1 or …how did you do it?
As long as it’s an invisible increase, it doesn’t matter. Any way you get there is fine.
Stunning! You have inspired me!
That’s absolutely gorgeous!! Thanks so much and thanks to Lime and Violet’s Daily Chum for hooking me up!!
I love it! Just what I was looking for to use my skein of Seawool for!
Hurray!
What a lovely lace project. I’ve been looking for the perfect one to try lace & now my good people, I think I’ve found it. Cheers!
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a beautiful shawl!! Thanks for sharing your pattern. I have just the yarn for it. I am going to use the Anne schaefer yarn that I have. I frogged a sock because the pattern was “bad” and was waiting for the right pattern to come along. The colorway has peachy reds, caramel and some blues and I think it will look awesome with this pattern.
I am now considered a lace knitter and now I have another pattern to add to my patterns thanks to you. I will send you a picture of it when I am done!!
I found your site through the daily chum. I can’t wait to knit your lovely shawl. Also, I received your book for a birthday present. From a non-knitter none the less:) I love it! You are so creative.
I stumbled into your site while looking for something else and I think I am going to hyperventilate! That is the most gorgeous shawl!!! I have to make this one. Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful pattern! ~Tricia
Thank you very much, it is quite lovely.
I too came across this on the daily chum – I’m definitely going to cast on v. soon – in some posh yarn fingering weight in a blue-green colour. Can’t wait to start!
Just what I didn’t need…another shawl saying/screaming “knit me now”…it’s a beauty…thank you :)
Not only beautiful, but I think I can actually do it! Another one for the “to do” file.
Lovely pattern, thanks so much for sharing!
I have a question though. I am casting on 41 sts for a scarf but he edge and pattern setup rows don’t add up to 41. Both the start stitches and the repeats are even numbers so they can never add up to an odd number. Please help!
Malin–my fault! I didn’t adjust the edging rows for the shorter width. Just sub 1×1 rib, starting with a knit, for the opening and closing rows and you’ll be set! I’ve added notes to the pattern to clarify.
You could also sub seed or broken rib or any other flat pattern of your choosing. The idea is just to counter the natural stockinette curl of the setup and initial rows.
Ah, thanks Nikol, I think I see how it works now. But I still think there is an error in the pattern setup row. Shouldn’t it be: k2, p1, k2 before the repeat section instead of k2, p2, k2? As it is written now it won’t add up to neither 41 nor 89 nor any odd number.
What a beautiful pattern! Thanks so much for sharing it. I just knit up a little baby hat with a very similar leaf edging, and I was excited to find more leaves!
I followed a link from Leah at Btn. Stupid & Clever to find you.
Thank you! I’m going to make this — already queued it in Ravelry. :)
I am having the same problem as Malin. If it is a 12 stitch pattern plus 6 then the cast on number should be even. or maybe Malin is right about the set up row.
thanks
It’s not a 12+6. It’s a 12+5. Odd number cast-on. But Malin was right–there was a typo in the set-up row, which should have been P1 instead of P2 before the repeat. It’s fixed now. Thanks, everyone for your help–my first foray into lace… :)
so that would explain why I am always short one stitch at the end of the WS setup row. It starts with a P2 K2 P2 [6 stitches] and then the 12 stitch repeat section. The WS rows 2-12 start with a K2, P3, K2 [7 stitches] and then the 12 stitch repeat.
Am I miss understanding something?
thanks so much for your help.
Yup, that’s it. The setup row is the same as Row 14, which I forgot to change back when someone caught the error the day I posted it.
The setup row should start with K2, P1, K2 instead of K2, P2, K2. Then you’ll be set for the pattern.
Excellent! Thank-you! I am off knitting.
Thank you so much for a beautiful pattern, Nikol, I just love it :-)
I knitted a grey one already, and now a purple one is on my needles.
I posted a picture of the grey one on my blog:
http://www.hverkenfuglellerfisk.dk/?p=1309
and now a lot of danish women have asked me, if I could translate your pattern into danish.
So now I want to ask you, if that would be okay with you??
Kind regards og happy knitting
Anne from Denmark
Please do! If you could link back to it & let me know the url, so I can add the Danish version to ravelry, that would be great. Thanks, Anne!
This is gorgeous! I have my yarn all wound up and ready to begin, but I have a question. It says “Needle size: US 6/ 3.5mm”. My needle gauge shows a US 6 is 4 mm. 3.5mm is a US 4. Just wondering which needle you used or if there’s a gauge to aim for. Thanks for sharing such a lovely pattern!
Beautiful shawl..it looks stunning on you, especially the color of the yarn. I’m adding a link to this, under my free knitting pattern section, on my blog.
Becca, it was definitely a 6. I took off the mm until I can look it up.
wow! beautiful!!
Thanks for sharing. I love lace leaf designs and will use this one soon.
I laughed out loud at your wonderful slogan and can relate to it completely. Happy knitting! I’m going to dive into your lovely shawl as soon as I can.
I love this pattern but have a few questions:
On the instructions for the Edge, the pattern give instructions than says, “Work following row in pattern.” What pattern?
Ending Section:
There are rows 1-8, 10, and 12, but no row 9 or 11. What do we do for those rows?
Thanks! I love the pattern and can’t wait to make it!
Deb
Deb–the pattern that you’ve established in the previous row–that is, work the stitches as they present themselves–knit the knits and purl the purls.
The ending section just goes the 8 rows + the final row in pattern–the duplicate row instructions (2 & 12 and 4 & 10) were just accidental relics from when I copied the original lace instruction. Thanks for the catch!
Nicol – Thanks for the clarification. I look forward to making this. It is really a beautiful pattern, and easy to make longer for my larger-than-average body!
Deb
This is a beautiful pattern! I can’t wait to start. I just bought some Zephyr Wool-Silk in a solid color, I think it would look fabulous with this. I will have to adjust it for the laceweight yarn by going down to a size 4 I think. Which of course will mean casting on for more repeats to have the width. I’ll post pics on Ravelry with progress and notes.
Thank you for the beautiful pattern! I hope to be able to start soon!
Is there a gauge we should be shooting for?
Just Beautiful…… It is certainly going on My To Do List.. Thanks for Sharing!!!!
Found this wonderful pattern thru Zen Yarn Garden’s site – lovely! Many, many thnaks.
Thank you so much ! This shawl is superb !
Danièle
What a beautiful pattern, thank you so much for sharing with us! Have to start asap! warm greetingz from austria.
Wow, I love the lace pattern you used! I am looking for a lace pattern to use in a cowl. I may use that one, if that’s ok? Its not for sale, just for me.
OOOO! Can’t wait to try this pattern out!
…Kauni…what? Yummy.
Just wanted to say thanks for the pattern, I just finished mine and I love it!
Oh this looks heavenly. and I appreciate how you broke it all down for me. I am so drawn to lace knitting, but being in the engineering field, need to understand, *how it all works, damit*
Thanks for sharing your wealth. can’t wait to start. must. finish. sock. madness. socks. first.
Nikol:
Thanks very much for the lovely pattern. I am making a couple of versions. I just finished blocking a cowl: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/visible/woodland-shawl-2 and I am working on a long spring scarf.
Thanks again!
A beauty! I have put together a symbol chart for this so that I can
keep track of my place on this awesome piece. Thanks again, Anne
What a great pattern – thanks so much for sharing it. I made a version for the Ravelry version of the Knitting Olympics, and I’m about to start a longer thinner version for a scarf. You can see the one I made for the Ravelympics here: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/VeeKayEff/woodland-shawl if you’re interested.
Thanks for sharing. I saw this knit in Knit Picks Essential Kettle Hand-dyed sock yarn and it is beautiful. Not normally one for knitting lace, but I may have to give this one a try…only 460 yds…love it :)
Ohh, please help! What exactly does M1 mean? I thought it meant “make 1” but that’s not working.
Kim
Thanks for writing this.
I just wanted to thank you for this fantastic pattern. My finished shawl looks beautiful and I will enjoy using it.
This is so beautiful–thanks so much for the pattern.
Thanks for the pattern! I shall make a beautiful scarf from it :)
Hi all, so I have made an attempt at this shawl 3 times now. Every time I end up with an extra stitch at the end of row 6. Like I have P1, K2, P7, K2 and then one pesky stitch hanging around. I’m new at this whole knitting thing, and this is by far the most complicated pattern I have attempted but I don’t think I’m supposed to start that repeat again right (i.e. purl that last stitch)? I have un-knitted rows to try to correct it and have started over from scratch twice. Every time I just can’t get past that 6th row. Has anyone else had this problem? Does anyone have any idea of what I could be doing wrong. Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated.
GORGEOUS!
Your pattern has inspired me to attempt some more lace patterns–the last time I made a lace bed jacket out of mohair and silk, it took me three years.
Aimee, try using stitch markers to keep on track and double check frequently that your count is right. For instance, on row 6 (setup row) place a marker after the first 11 stitches, then every 12 after that as it is a 12 stitch repeat. You may have an extra M1 from row 5 if your count has been correct so far. I too had problems until I started using markers. Good luck, it’s a beautiful pattern, I’m almost finished myself.
I’m relatively new to knitting but fell in love with this pattern. I’ve done rows one through five about five or six times now, and it doesn’t look right to me. I’m going very slowly and counting everything. I CO 89 sts, and after row one (of the pattern, not the setup rows), I always end with 91, and now after row six, I’ve got 98 sts. Is this correct? It looks as though the leaves flare out at the edges, so it seems like it should be right, and it looks like there are a lot of K2tog and SKPs coming up, so will that narrow the pattern again? Any help with the exact number of sts I should have after each row in the pattern would be greatly appreciated!
Amanda–your stitch count will fluctuate, but you should always have an odd stitch count because the increase/decrease occurs in 2s.
The repeat itself is balanced, but the little beginning section adds/subtracts stitches from the pattern.
You’ll increase 2 st per odd row for a max of 6 additional st, then decrease back to your original number. This will be true regardless of width.
I’ve added the net change to stitch-changing rows in the pattern to help you out.
xo
Nikol
Beautiful pattern and really nicely laid out. Thanks for sharing it.
Just found the site. Georgeous shawl. I know the basic stitches.And am
thinking of starting to knit again. After reading the comments, do you think it is advisable to start with this pattern???
Ruth
would you please explain: M1 and also EZreverse loop
Oh my goodness. I’m not normally a comment poster, but I felt I should make the effort to say what an absolutely stunning piece of work that is. Gorgeous!!
Lovely; I’ll definitely be making it in the future!
I also wanted to say a big THANK YOU for your tip on figuring out how many rows you have left near the end of a skein — I’m pretty new to lace knitting (and knitting in general), and I always get so agitated trying to estimate if I’ll be able to finish a pattern repeat. :) Now, no more fear!
thank you so much – just the pattern for some wonderful and odd sparkly kelly green yarn brought back to me from someone’s trip to the himalayas. little buddhist faeries would wear this in the spring mists!!
cheers
Thank you so much for the pattern… It’s easy and the motif is sooo beautiful. I’m knitiing it with red Kauni Effektgarn.
I would like to ask you if I can translate it into french, some people ask me to, but I’d like your authorization first ;) Let me know if you’re ok with that :)
Ps : sorry for my bad english ;)
I’m interested as to why you have an ending section with M1s but not a corresponding start section ? ps I love the pattern and am just getting to the end of my yarn – can’t wait to wear it!
Hello, I am planning to knit this project (it’s so lovely) but have a couple of questions.
(1) I understand that the CO is 89 stitches and then you work the “K2, *P1, K1, repeat from * to 2 st from end, K2.” row. Is the next row the pattern set-up row?
(2) The last line of instructions reads “Work following row in pattern (knitting the knits and purling the purls), then BO.” Does this mean I should repeat Row 1 of the ending section again, or the final row or what?
I want to make this for a dear friend who has done a lot for me but haven’t been knitting in awhile because of hand problems. They are getting better but I find myself having to relearn some things. What cast on do you reccommend for this shawl? I love it.
Any cast-on done loosely will work fine. I usually use a cable cast-on when I know I’m going to need all the yarn, since it’s the thriftiest cast-on.
I am looking for someone to do me a baby shawl,as i cannot knit and my mum would gladly have done it but sadly passed away 2 years ago.My new grandchild is due in September, so i don’t have too long to find someone,Can you please get back to me as soon as possible.Thank you Susan.
I love this look and pattern. I am in the beginnings of the shawl, but I have had to pull it out because I wanted it wider and I am a tight knitter. I can’t wait to see what come next.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you very much for my being able to use your wonderful Woodland Shawl Pattern. i have nearly finished my first ball of an Amethyst Kid Mohair {New Zealand brand] with 101 stitches and it is going so bbeautifully i can hardly believe the ease with which it is growing. It is for my Mother’s 85th birthday and i know she will just love it. Your genorosity is so very greatly appreciated. i did not think i was clever enough to do this but your instructions and other peoples comments have enabled me to overcome my self doubts and just concentrate on your instructions. i have not quite mastered the chart but it is like a road map if i need to see where i am. Thank you very much, Warmest Regards, Margot New Zeland aka SnowontheTops
On row three the pattern has a SKP, and then immediately a K1. Is the K1 separate from the entire action of the SKP (i.e., skip one knitwise, then knit one and pass stitch over) OR part of the action?
Right now I am immediately going from a SKP (with a K1 as part of the action) to the K2tog, and I fear I am reading this wrong.
I hope I am making sense? Is the SKP, K1… really meaning this:
“Skip one knitwise, knit 1, pass stitch over…., K1, ….” or
“Skip one, K1, pass stitch over, …..”
THANK YOU! This looks so pretty!
Amy
Just to say thank you for a lovely pattern. Made mine in mirasol tupa in amber so it looks like copper beech leaves. I have loved knitting this, so once again many thanks.
Amy, You’ve probably figured this out looking at subsequent pattern rows, but SKP=Slip 1 knitwise, Knit 1, Pass the slipped stitch over the knit stitch.
That involves 2 stitches and decreases them to one stitch. Any stitches listed after that would be separate stitches (you’ll see later in the pattern the SKP is followed by a K3).
Newbie to your pattern: end of 1st row. I do not understand (net change: +2) AND there are 2 sts left on my left needle – what do I do with them?
Sally: net change=+2 means you end the row with 2 more stitches than you had when you started.
But if you have extra stitches left before the end of the row, that means you’ve made a mistake.
Hi, thank you soooooo much for this pattern. I had yarn custom made for me and was looking for the perfect project to use it and this is it. The yarn is a mossy green with a bit of shine from the light green wool and a grey-greeen all together. You might say a “Woodland” green. Now I have a name for the color I put together. I will send you a picture when I’m done. Can’t wait to start knitting this beautiful shawl.
Oh, geez. I might be in trouble if I can’t even get past the first row. Okay, I need help.
I’ve cast on 89 stitches, but when I do the edge row, I knit 2, then do p1, k1 the rest of the way, but when I get to the end, I have an extra stitch hanging around. it seems like maybe I am supposed to have an even number of stitches instead of an odd number, and I can’t figure out a way around this. I’ve counted and re-counted several times, but I can’t find a way to do the edge! Am I missing something?
Gah! Nevermind my previous comment, I figured it out. I was thinking I needed to do p1, k1, then when I got to the end stitches do p1, k1, k2, but I’m guessing that I just needed to finish the p1 k1 pattern, then knit the last stitch so that there were two knit stitches on each end.
je viens de découvrir votre site magnifique
merci pour ce beau modèle d’écharpe que je vais commencer aujourd’hui
amitiés de suisse
je n’ai pas de site
Je vous en prie, Luce! (J’espere que c’est correcte; mon francaise n’est pas tres bon. Peut etre c’est “de rien”?) xo Nikol
Beautiful pattern, just what I wanted to make a shawl for my socialite sister in Toronto! Thanks for sharing!.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful pattern. I have become completely obsessed with this little leaf :-) I knit it on the front of a purse and keep finding it everywhere. I even purchased a vest pattern that was created entirely from these little leaves. So, to find your scarf/shawl pattern on Ravelry, well, I am just overjoyed! Thank you for your generosity.
Thank you so much for making such a pretty pattern available for free! x
Absolutely gorgeous! I love Autumn and leaf patterns. I am a natural crocheter, but this pattern alone has inspired me to learn knitting. I have the knits and purls ok. I need to now learn all the other stuff that is used in this pattern. Also need to learn to decipher knit abbreviations!
This pattern has been added to my queue on Ravelry for when I finally “get” this knitting thing down!
What do I do after the edge row when you say “Work following row in pattern”? Is there a row I need to work before I do the pattern set-up row? Thanks! I look forward to getting started.
I found this beautiful pattern months ago but forgot to save it. after searching for a week I finally found it again..I’m so happy because I haven’t found one as beautiful & easy as this is.