Spyke Shawlette
by Jane Stanley
Materials
- 1 skein Habu XS-45, 20/3 Bamboo (574 yds per skein: you will only need roughly 1/3 of a skein i.e. approx. 200 yds); Main Color (MC)
- 1 cone Habu A-20 silk stainless (311 yds; wind half the cone onto a cardboard toilet paper tube or paper towel tube to form 2 ‘cones’); Contrast Color (CC) — this yarn will be held double
- Beads (optional): 1 vial of Miyuki 8/0 beads in a color similar to CC (for higher contrast use beads similar in color to the MC)
- Scrap yarn: sufficient for the provision CO (for provisional cast on help refer to Ask the Expert)
- Crochet hook: a hook small enough to pass through the beads (suggested size 0.75 mm)
- US# 4 (3.5 mm) circular needles, 32 inch cable
Abbreviations
- 2yo (otherwise known as a “yo twice”): this is a double yarn over; wrap the yarn twice around the needle.
- k2tog: knit two stitches together.
- ssk: slip two st as if to knit, knit together through the back loops.
- ‘turn’: turn the entire work to the reverse side.
Gauge
Gauge isn’t critical but you are aiming for a loose flowing fabric in the MC.
19 sts x 33 rows / 4″ / stockinette stitch with MC
Instructions
Note: MC is held single and CC is held double.
Body
In MC (yarn held single), provisionally CO 366 stitches.
Row 1 (RS): knit all stitches.
Row 2 (WS): purl all stitches.
Short Row shaping
Row A (RS): K 186 st, turn.
Row B (WS): P 6 st, turn.
*Row C (RS): K to 1 st before turning point, ssk, k5, turn.
Row D (WS): P to 1 st before turning point, p2tog, p5, turn.*
Repeat Rows C and D until all stitches have been worked. A total of 306 stitches remain.
Helpful hint: it may be helpful to place a movable stitch marker at each turning point in order to avoid ‘losing’ your turning spot. Just remove the stitch marker as you come to it, follow row instructions and replace the stitch marker next turning point.
Top Edging of Body
Row 1 (RS): purl all stitches.
Row 2 (WS): knit all stitches.
Row 3 (RS): purl all stitches.
Bind off row (WS)- suspended bind off:
First: Knit 2 stitches.
Next:
- Slip the first stitch over the second stitch (as per a ‘normal’ bind off) but keep the stitch on the left-hand needle.
- Knit the next stitch.
- Slip both stitches off the left-hand needle; you will have 2 stitches remaining on the right-hand needle.
- repeat until only 2 stitches remain on the right-hand needle.
Last: Pass the first stitch over the second stitch. Knit the remaining stitch again, cut the yarn and pass through the loop.
Bottom Edging of Body
The bottom edging is done using CC held double throughout.
Set-up: stitches are being picked up but not knit.
Starting at the left bind off edge of the body with RS facing:
pick up 4 st down the side edge of the shawlette;
then pick up the 366 st from the provisional CO;
and then pick up 4 st up the side edge of the shawlette (see diagram).
-a total of 374 stitches have been picked up.
Row 1 (RS): k 15, k2tog, 2yo, ssk, [k 13, k2tog, 2yo, ssk]-repeat 20 times total, k 15.
Row 2 (WS): p 17, k1 [p16, k1]-repeat to last 17 st, k 17
(in this row you are [purling to the 2yo, (p 1, k 1)]-repeating 21 times total, p 17).
Spikes
The double yarn overs form the spike section boundaries. The spikes themselves are formed using short rows over 16 stitches followed by BO 17 st down the side of the spike. Doing this places you right at the start of the next spike without needing to break and rejoin the yarn; meaning you only have 2 spike related tails to weave in (four ends in total)! As you work the spikes you consume the edging stitches for a total of 22 spikes.
Starting spike (complete once)
Row A (RS): k 17 st (the 17th stitch is the ‘first st’ of the 2yo), turn.
Row B (WS): p to end (i.e. 17 st).
Row C (RS): k 3 st, turn.
Row D (WS): p to end (i.e. 3 st).
*Row E (RS): k to 1 st past the previous turning point, turn.
Row F (WS): p to end*
-Repeat rows E and F (* to *), consuming one additional stitch each repeat, a total of 13 times ending on a Row F. Your last E and F repeat should have been
worked over 16 stitches with the ‘17th stitch’ from row A remaining unworked.
Next row (RS): BO 17 stitches i.e. the 16 stitches worked after completion of rows E and F plus the 1 unworked stitch (this brings you to the 2nd st of the 2yo) using the beaded bind off. Bead not your thing? Just loosely BO 17 stitches as normal.
Beaded BO: add beads to the BO as follows:
Using a crochet hook place a bead on the 1st st (the peak of the spike) and knit the st; knit the next stitch (the 2nd st); slip the first st over the 2nd st binding off the first stitch. Then *place a bead on the following stitch (the 3rd st) and BO as before; BO 1 more st (the 4th st)*. Continue in this manner placing a bead on the 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 15th and 17th stitches (a total of 9 beads). After placing a bead on the 17th st, knit that st and then slip the previous (16th ) st over the 17th st. This remaining stitch becomes the 1st stitch of the following spike.
Main spikes (complete 20 times)
**Row A (RS): the 1 remaining st on your right needle from the previous spike is counted as the first stitch of the next spike. K16 st from the left needle (i.e. k to the 1st st of the 2yo) for a total of 17 st.
Row B (WS): p to end (i.e. 17 st).
Row C (RS): k 3 st, turn.
Row D (WS): p to end (3 st).
*Row E (RS): k to 1 st past the previous turning point, turn.
Row F (WS): p to end.*
-Repeat rows E and F (* to *), consuming one additional stitch each repeat, a total of 13 times ending on a Row F. Your last E and F repeat should have been worked over 16 stitches with the ‘17th stitch’ from row A remaining unworked.
Next row (RS): BO 17 st as for the starting spike (with or without beads as desired, see above- this brings you to the 2nd st of the 2yo).**
-Repeat ** to ** for a total of 20 spikes. When only 17 st remain, complete the ending spike instructions below.
Ending spike (complete once)
Row A (RS): the 1 remaining st on your right needle from the previous spike is counted as the first stitch of the next spike. K the last 16 st from the left needle edging stitches for a total of 17 st.
Row B (WS): p to end (i.e. 17 st).
Row C (RS): k 3 st, turn.
Row D (WS): p to end (3 st).
*Row E (RS): k to 1 st past the previous turning point, turn.
Row F (WS): p to end, turn.*
-Repeat rows E and F (* to *), consuming one additional stitch each repeat, a total of 13 times ending on a Row F. Your last E and F repeat should have been worked over 16 stitches with the ‘17th stitch’ from row A remaining unworked (i.e. the last remaining stitch from the edging).
Next row (RS): BO all stitches (17; with or without beads as desired, see above).
Knit the remaining stitch once more, cut the yarn leaving a tail and pull through the loop.
Diagram
Finishing
Weave in all ends. Steam block the shawlette making sure to gently tug the spikes into shape. Bear in mind that the silk stainless will not ‘relax’ like other yarns due to the stainless steel present. The shawlette forms a shallow crescent-shape with some curl at the ends.