Garter Star Shawl Pattern

Garter Star Shawl By Vivette Ashen-Brenner
Copyright: August 2005
Yarn: Bernat Softee Chunky 3 skeins (*or more) (bulky 5) $1.97 skein at my Wal-mart

Needles: size 10 circular at least 29“ long. (* A larger needle will give a looser fabric)

Neck: Cast on 4. Work 16 rows of garter stitch (8 ridges). Pick up 8 stitches along long edge (12 stitches)

Body: Row 1: Knit 6 stitches, place a marker, M1 by picking up strand between two stitches, and knitting into the back of that loop, place a marker, knit remaining 6 stitches. 13 stitches.

Row 2 and all even rows: Knit back across row, slipping markers and working yarn overs as stitches.

Row 3: Knit 1, yarn over, (YO) work until marker, YO, slip marker, knit 1, slip marker, YO, knit until last stitch, YO, knit 1 (4 stitches increased total 17) You will be making a center panel design with the yarn overs.

Continue working the increase row until you have a total of 40 stitches between edge and 1st marker. (81 stitches)

Design increase row: Even row: (same as row 1) Knit 20, place marker, M1, place marker, Knit 20, knit until center marker, slip marker, knit center stitch, slip marker as usual, knit 20, place marker MI, place marker, knit 20 until edge (3 sets of markers with 1 stitch in between) (83 stitches) This makes the pattern design that runs down shoulder line.

Continue in this manner until you again have 40 stitches between the markers.

Repeat design increase row. You will have 7 sets of markers with 1 stitch in between markers and 20 stitches between each set of markers. (Total 167 stitches)

Work until you have 50 stitches between markers (407 stitches).

Ladder design row: now, here’s where the longer needle will be nicer, but you can do it with 29” one. I did, wasn’t easy, but the “problem” only lasts for 2 rows.
Knit 1, yarn over twice, knit 1, yarn over twice, continue across row slipping markers and knitting center stitches as “normal”. Needle will be full, it will be extremely tight and you will think… what was she thinking!

Work back by knitting the knits and letting the yarn overs drop off the needle. Halfway around you’ll be thinking less cranky thoughts, as the stitches on the needle get looser.

Work at least 4 rows plain garter stitch, no longer increasing at markers. (Keep markers on though).

When you are nearly out of yarn, or just plain sick of the project, bind off. Try to keep your yarn extra loose at the points (reason for leaving the markers on) so that it doesn’t cup when finished.

This yarn washes and dries very nicely in machine, softening up considerably. I chose to block mine however. I blocked my shawl by soaking in bathtub of warm water for 30 minutes then patted out onto a towel-covered tabletop. Blocked: my shawl measured 21” from back neck to center point, 45” across from shoulder point to shoulder point.

If you did the work back rows in purl, so that you had a Stockinette fabric instead of garter the shawl would be longer, as garter pulls up. If you use a larger needle, fabric will be looser and have course, larger.