Tuesday, February 28, 2017

"A Bit of Good Luck" Easy Shawl Knitting Pattern

I'm excited to announce my new shawl knitting pattern - "A Bit of Good Luck".  This shawl is knit with super bulky yarn so it's quick and easy to knit.  

This pattern is available on Ravelry, LoveKnitting, and Etsy.

"A Bit of Good Luck" shawl knitting pattern - quick & easy to knit.
This shawl is easy to knit and would make a lovely gift...to wish a friend or loved one "a bit of good luck".


MARCH 2023 UPDATE: The knitting pattern was recently updated to correct a typo.  In the abbreviations section a typo for K2tog has been corrected and now reads: knit 2 stitches together.

I made several test shawls before I finalized the design for this simple shawl pattern.  My goal was a design that would be very easy to knit, could be made at a low cost ($10 - $20 depending on choice of yarn), had a classic, timeless style and was easy to adapt to multiple sizes. (See info below about three size options.) After trying several ideas I think I achieved all of my original goals!

The shawl is knit side to side with a seed stitch border.  The main center section is stockinette stitch with balanced increases and decreases to create a gently curving shape for the lower edge of the shawl.  Click here for the updated tutorial for the M1L increase used in this pattern.

Easy to knit shawl pattern.

The pattern includes instructions for three sizes:

Small/Petite: 51" long x 13.5" wide (at widest point)
Medium: 55" long x 14" wide
Large: 59" long x 14.5" wide

All of the shawl sizes are about 7" wide at the ends.  It's also easy to make any of the shawl sizes longer by adding rows in the middle (back) portion.

The size shown in the photos is the small/petite version.  It's about 51 inches long and about 13.5" wide at the widest point.

"A Bit of Good Luck" shawl knitting pattern - it's easy to adjust the length.

This shawl is knit with super bulky yarn which makes it chunky, warm, cozy...and quick to knit.

"A Bit of Good Luck" Shawl shown in 'Vermont Green' Lion Brand Hometown USA
Blocking of the shawl is highly recommended!  Blocking makes a huge difference in the final appearance as it sets the shape of the shawl.

I have written about blocking several times.  For more tips and photos on blocking you might want to check out my full collection of tips on this blog post.

A couple key things...after soaking the shawl for several minutes in a sink full of water, carefully set it on an old towel to allow excess water to drain off.  Handle your knitting with care...do not wring or twist!

Handle wet knitting with care - do not wring or twist.
Another important part of blocking is to carefully arrange the knitting on the blocking surface.  The reason to block is to train the knitting to be neat and tidy with even edges...in the exact shape desired.  For this shawl, make sure the stockinette stitches in the main body of the shawl are straight from one edge to the other.  The photo below shows the straight stockinette stitches for the main body of the shawl, with the increase band curving gently to the right.

"A Bit of Good Luck" shawl - block carefully to shape.
Use T-pins to set the knitting in place after carefully arranging the knitting.

Use T-pins to hold knitting in place for blocking.
Of course, I picked green to go along with the pattern name..."A Bit of Good Luck"!  With St. Patrick's Day coming up soon it seemed like a fitting choice!  (If you are wondering...I'm about 3/8ths Irish.)

SUPER BULKY YARN:

I used Lion Brand Hometown USA in the color 'Vermont Green'.  I love this rich forest green!  If you have not used Hometown USA you might want to give it a try...it's very soft to the touch and very enjoyable to knit.  If you are sensitive to wool this could be the perfect choice for you as it has no wool content.  Also, this yarn is a very economical choice...I spent about $12 for the yarn to make this shawl. (As I said above...my goal was to design a classic shawl that doesn't cost a lot to make.)

When I was looking for green yarn I found that there are a lot of choices!  Of course, you can use any color for your shawl but I thought it would be fun to share the choices of greens that I found for a few super bulky yarn options:

Lion Brand Hometown USA - look for these colors on Lion Brand Yarn's website:

'Vermont Green': dark forest green (shown above in shawl)
'Green Bay': true kelly green - bright St. Patrick's Day green (see photo below)
'Oklahoma City Green': avocado green (see photo below)
'Saint Louis Sage': soft grayish, slate green
'Grand Rapids Green': bright green
'Montpelier Peacock': dark, rich, slightly bluish green
'Savannah Sage': light, soft green

'Green Bay' in Lion Brand Hometown USA is perfect for St. Patrick's Day!

'Oklahoma City Green' in Lion Brand Hometown USA
If you like a woolish texture for your yarn, try Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick.  It is available in a few green shades including: 'Grass' and 'Cilantro' (an earthy green),

Another yarn option is Loops & Threads Cozy Wool.  Cozy Wool is a blend yarn that includes a bit of wool. This yarn comes in several green shades including 'Spearmint' (bright aqua green), 'Thunder Blue' (dark teal), 'Moss Green' (earthy green), 'Sweetgrass' (light avocado green).  This yarn is sold only at Michael's Crafts.

This pattern would also work well with variegated or multi-colored yarns, including hand dyed yarn.

An easy to knit chunky shawl - "A Bit of Good Luck".
Since this shawl was specifically designed for use with super bulky weight yarn, I am unable to assist with questions regarding how to adapt this pattern for lighter weight yarn.  This pattern could be adapted for lighter weight yarn but that would require writing a whole new pattern!  Thanks for understanding!

"A Bit of Good Luck" shawl knitting pattern is now available on Ravelry, LoveKnitting and Etsy.

You may have read on my previous post that I have been participating in the #YarnLoveChallenge on Instagram during the month of February.  Since this blog post has been filled with green I thought I would share my photo from day 16 when the theme was "happy color".

My favorite color has always been blue!  I have used various shades of blue yarn for several of my knitting projects in the last couple of years.

my 'happy color' = blue
Patterns shown in the collage are listed below.  Click to read more about these patterns on my blog.
The Parkway Pillow (top left)
Belleview Blanket (top right)
The Boulevard Blanket (lower left) - always free pattern
Third Street Blanket (lower center)
Felt Applique Mitten Ornament (lower right)

Thanks so much for reading and for your interest in my knitting projects!

Wishing you a bit of good luck in the days to come! :)

Mary Lee
Fifty Four Ten Studio

"A Bit of Good Luck" easy shawl knitting pattern.

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