Half-Circle Shawl

I really like half-circle shawls. I hunted through patterns, trying to find something that would allow me knit until I ran out of yarn, and not have to add a border on to the straight edge afterwards. I couldn’t find a pattern that would do all that, so I improvised this half-circle shawl based on the “ray” concept – it starts from the center of the neck edge, increasing out in rays. The pattern is written for stockinette, but a lace stitch could be substituted in between the increase rays. As this is knit from the center of the neck out, it’s easily adaptable to any weight yarn, and it’s gaugeless. I like to use a needle size one or two sizes larger than would typically be used for the yarn, it makes the fabric a little more airy and drapey.

The red shawl was knit with 3 skeins (approximately 530 yds) of Naturally Caron Country – Claret; needle size: 10 US / 6mm; finished size: 26 inch radius.

The green shawl was knit with 4 skeins (approximately 540 yds) of Patons Grace – Ginger; needle size: 8 US / 4mm; finished size: 26 inch radius.

Notes

Lace patterns are best done in a natural fiber yarn, which will block to shape.

The lace edging will take substantially more yarn than the simple edging, the red shawl’s edging used roughly half a skein of yarn.

Abbreviations

K = knit

st = stitch

Kfb: knit in the front and back of the stitch (increase)

YO = yarn over (increase)

K2tog = knit two stitches together (decrease)

PM = place marker

SM = slip marker

Pattern

Cast on 3 stitches.

Row 1: Kfb, K1, Kfb (5 st total)

Row 2: Knit

Row 3: Kfb, K3, Kfb (7 st total)

Row 4: Knit

Row 5: Kfb, K5, Kfb (9 st total)

Row 6: K3, *YO, K1, repeat from * across to last 3 st, YO, K3 (13 st total)

Row 7: K3, purl to last 3 st, K3

Row 8: Knit

Row 9: K3, purl to last 3 st, K3

Row 10: K3, YO, *K1, YO, PM, K1, PM, YO, repeat from * two more times to last 4 st, K1, YO, K3

Rows 11 – 13: repeat rows 7 – 9

Row 14: K3, YO, *K to marker, YO, SM, K1, SM, YO, repeat from * two more times, K to last 3 st, YO, K3

Repeat last four rows, working an increase row every fourth row, increasing with a YO after the first 3 st, before and after each marker/K1/marker, and before the last 3 st – 8 increases total every increase row.

Continue until center ray measures to desired size (minus 1 or 2 inches, depending on what edging will be used), ending with a wrong side row.

Edging

Simple Edging

Work a few rows in garter stitch (knit every row), bind off.

A nice, stretchy bind-off:

Knit 2 stitches together through the back loops, return that stitch to the left needle – repeat until all stitches are bound off.

Lace Edging

Note: This is a knit-on edging. You’ll knit back and forth across the edging stitches, and work a K2tog on the right-side rows (odd-numbered rows) to join the edging to the shawl.

Cast on 8 st.

Row 1: K6, YO, K1, K2tog, turn

Rows 2, 4, 6, 8: Knit

Row 3: K2, YO, K2, YO, K4, K2tog, turn

Row 5: K9, YO, K1, K2tog, turn

Row 7: BO 4 st, K6, K2tog, turn

Continue across until only one stitch remains on body of shawl – bind off to last two stitches, K2tog, bind off.

Weave in ends, wash and block.