Skip to main content

Laura’s Apricot Shell Shawl knitting pattern

I usually have a knitting project in mind when I write it into one of my books, but Laura’s apricot-colored shawl just kind of appeared upon the page as I was writing the first scene of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 4: Betrayer, and it surprised even me.

I immediately went to my yarn stash to find a yarn for it, and I searched through my antique knitting books to find some stitch patterns. I made her an elegant wool shawl she could wear at home.

The shawl ended up tagging along with Laura into the next book, Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 5: Prisoner, where it imparts some comfort to her in her trying circumstances.

The two stitch patterns are both from the same book, The Lady’s Assistant, volume 2 by Mrs. Jane Gaugain, published in 1842. A couple excessively clever and creative knitters might have knit these patterns in the Regency era, but they would have only passed them around by word of mouth or scribbled “recipes” to friends or family, and it wouldn’t have been widely used. So my using them for Laura’s shawl is perhaps stretching things because they’re probably not authentically from the Regency period, but they’re beautiful and I couldn’t resist.

The central lace pattern is called “Very Pretty Sort of Shell,” stitch pattern number 108 in the book, on page 199.

For the edging, I decided on another nautically named lace pattern, “Scollop Edging, in imitation of Brussels Lace,” stitch pattern number 38 on page 137.

I adjusted both stitch patterns a little from the originals, and corrected a couple errors.

I also made this pattern into a PDF, which you can download here.

View this pattern on Ravelry

Size:

74” long, 32” wide

I blocked the shawl a bit aggressively because I was aiming for an airy, delicate shawl that my character, Lady Wynwood, would wear in her elegant drawing room. It would have still looked pretty blocked to only 60” long and 24” wide.

For a modern woman, this would be a lovely shawl to wear to a wedding or perhaps a daytime semi-formal event, because it’s lacy, long and sweepingly dramatic.

If you would like the shawl to be smaller, you can block it to smaller dimensions and/or change the needle size to something like US 2 or US 3 (you’ll need to do a couple test swatches). Once blocked, it would be shorter and narrower, but still have the four repeats of the shell lace pattern in the center.

Yarn:

Knit Picks Gloss Lace (70% Merino Wool, 30% Silk, 440 yards/50 gram ball), 4 balls, Mango colorway (24202) lot# 51224

Needles:

US 5 (3.75 mm) circular needles

US 5 (3.75 mm) double-pointed needles

Gauge:

One repeat of Shell lace pattern (24 stitches, 12 rows) is 6.5” wide and 2” tall when blocked, or 3.7 stitches and 6 rows per inch.

Abbreviations:

k = knit

p = purl

k2tog = knit two together

p2tog = purl two together

YO = yarn over

A = slip one, purl two together, pass slipped stitch over

Instructions:

With US 5 circular needles and waste yarn, cast on 105 sts using provisional crochet cast on (it will be 104 sts after removing the waste yarn).

First row: slip first stitch purl-wise with yarn at wrong side, k2tog, knit across (to make 104 sts).

Slip first stitch purl-wise with yarn at wrong side in every row and knit 7 more rows for garter stitch bottom border. Then start shell pattern for center panel.

Slip first stitch purl-wise with yarn at wrong side in every row and knit a 4-stitch garter stitch border at each end.

Each row: slip 1, k3, (Shell pattern) 4 times, k4.

Shell pattern:

1 (RS): k3, YO, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k4, YO 5 times, k4, k2tog, k3, YO, k2tog, k1

2: p3, YO, p2tog, p1, p2tog, p4, k1, p1, k1, p4, p2tog, p3, YO, p2tog, p1

3: k3, YO, k2tog, k12, k2tog, k3, YO, k2tog, k1

4: p3, YO, p2tog, p16, YO, p2tog, p1

5: k3, YO, k2tog, k4, YO, k1, YO, k1, YO, k1, YO, k1, YO, k1, YO, k1, YO, k1, YO, k5, YO, k2tog, k1

6: p3, YO, p2tog, p1, p2tog, p15, p2tog, p4, YO, p2tog, p1

7: k3, YO, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k14, k2tog, k3, YO, k2tog, k1

8: p3, YO, p2tog, p1, p2tog, p12, p2tog, p3, YO, p2tog, p1

9: k3, YO, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k10, k2tog, k3, YO, k2tog, k1

10: p3, YO, p2tog, p16, YO, p2tog, p1

11: k3, YO, k2tog, k16, YO, k2tog, k1

12: p3, YO, p2tog, p16, YO, p2tog, p1

Knit a total of 33 repeats of Shell pattern.

Slip the first stitch of every row and knit 8 rows for garter stitch top border (104 stitches).

Break yarn.

Edging:

You will be knitting the edging onto the center panel, going in a clockwise direction, and starting a few rows up from the bottom left corner of the center panel.

With the right/front side of the shawl facing you, on the long left edge, count 8 slipped stitches from the bottom left corner (do not count the provisional stitch), then put a stitch marker on the 9th slipped stitch.

When knitting the edging, on wrong side rows (even rows), you will attach the edging to the shawl starting at that marked stitch.

With US 5 double-pointed needles, cast on 20 sts using provisional crochet cast on and waste yarn (will be 19 sts after removing waste yarn).

First row (right side): slip first stitch purl-wise with yarn at wrong side, k2, YO, k2tog, k13, k2tog (to make 19 stitches)

Start Scollop edging pattern version 1 STARTING FROM ROW 2.

Scollop edging pattern version 1:

1 (right side): slip 1, k2, YO, k2tog, k14

2 (wrong side): p2, (YO 2 times, p2tog) 5 times, p4, YO, p2tog, slip last stitch, pick up one stitch from shawl, pass slipped stitch over

3: slip 1, k2, YO, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k1, p1, (k2, p1) 4 times, k2

4: p20, YO, p2tog, slip last stitch, pick up one stitch from shawl, pass slipped stitch over

5: slip 1, k2, YO, k2tog, k18

6: Bind off 6 stitches purlwise (you will have 1 st on the right hand needle), YO 2 times, A, p1, YO 4 times, A, p1, YO 2 times, p2tog, p3, YO, p2tog, slip last stitch, pick up one stitch from shawl, pass slipped stitch over

7: slip 1, k2, YO, k2tog, k3, p1, k2tog, (k1, p1) 2 times, k3, p1, k1

8: p16, YO, p2tog, slip last stitch, pick up one stitch from shawl, pass slipped stitch over

A = slip one, purl two together, pass slipped stitch over

Repeat Scollop edging pattern from row 1.

Knit Scollop edging pattern version 1 a total of 47 times along the long side. On the center shawl panel, there should be 9 slipped stitches remaining on the edge until the corner of the shawl.

(If you find you have too few or too many stitches before each corner, that’s totally fine, just fudge the Double Join (DJ) and Single Join (SJ) at the corner. All that matters is the number of repeats of the edging that you knit. You need to do 47 repeats along each long side, 19 repeats along each short side, and 6 repeats at each of the four corners for a total of 156 repeats of the edging around the outside of the shawl. Of course, if you decided to do less or more than 33 repeats of the shell pattern in the center, then the number of edge stitches on the center panel will also change, and you’ll have to do more or less repeats of the Scollop edging, as well as fudge the DJ and SJ.)

For the corners, you will be doing Single Joins (SJ) and Double Joins (DJ), which are both terms I borrowed from the book Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby.

Single Joins: These are simply what you are already doing on every even row of the edging pattern.

When adding the edging to the long edge of the center panel, where there are slipped stitches along the sides: Follow the edging pattern to the last stitch of the row, slip the stitch, pick up a stitch from the center panel, and pass the slipped stitch over.

When adding the edging to the short end of the shawl, where there are the live provisional stitches: Follow the edging pattern to the last stitch of the row, slip the stitch, slip the live stitch from the center panel, then knit both slipped stitches on the right hand needle through the back loops.

Double Joins: There are two even numbered rows indicated for the double join. For the first row, do a normal single join.

For the second row, when doing the long side of the shawl, pick up a stitch through the same stitch as the previous row and slip the passed stitch over.

When doing the short side of the shawl, knit the last edging stitch through the same center panel stitch as the previous row.

When turning the corner from a long edge to the short edge of the shawl, you will do 2 SJ and 7 DJ on the long side, then do 4 DJ on the short side. This is called corner A.

When turning the corner from the short edge to the long edge of the shawl, you will do 5 DJ on the short side, then do 6 DJ and 2 SJ on the long side. This is called corner B.

Corner A (going from long side to short side):

Long side:

Row 2-SJ

Row 4-SJ

Rows 6,8-DJ

Rows 2,4-DJ

Rows 6,8-DJ

Rows 2,4-DJ

Rows 6,8-DJ

Rows 2,4-DJ

Rows 6,8-DJ

Short side:

Rows 2,4-DJ

Rows 6,8-DJ

Rows 2,4-DJ

Rows 6,8-DJ

On the short side, after doing the DJ for corner A, you will have 100 live stitches left. You will be knitting the Scollop edging pattern version 2.

Scollop edging pattern version 2:

1 (right side): slip 1, k2, YO, k2tog, k14

2 (wrong side): p2, (YO 2 times, p2tog) 5 times, p4, YO, p2tog, slip last stitch, slip one live stitch from the center panel, then knit the two stitches on the right needle together through the back loop

3: slip 1, k2, YO, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k1, p1, (k2, p1) 4 times, k2

4: p20, YO, p2tog, slip last stitch, slip one live stitch from the center panel, then knit the two stitches on the right needle together through the back loop

5: slip 1, k2, YO, k2tog, k18

6: Bind off 6 stitches (you will have 1 st on the right hand needle), YO 2 times, A, p1, YO 4 times, A, p1, YO 2 times, p2tog, p3, YO, p2tog, slip last stitch, slip one live stitch from the center panel, then knit the two stitches on the right needle together through the back loop

7: slip 1, k2, YO, k2tog, k3, p1, k2tog, (k1, p1) 4 times, k3, p1, k1

8: p16, YO, p2tog, slip last stitch, slip TWO LIVE STITCHES from the center panel, then knit the two stitches on the right needle together through the back loop

Repeat Scollop edging pattern from row 1.

*** NOTE that for row 8, you will be knitting the last edging stitch together with TWO stitches from the center panel, not one. This is to prevent the edging from bunching up too much along the short edges of the shawl when blocking.

After doing corner A, repeat Scollop edging pattern version 2 a total of 19 times. You will have 5 stitches left before the corner. Do corner B.

Corner B (going from short side to long side):

Short side:

Rows 2,4-DJ

Rows 6,8-DJ

Rows 2,4-DJ

Rows 6,8-DJ

Rows 2,4-DJ

Long side:

Rows 6,8-DJ

Rows 2,4-DJ

Rows 6,8-DJ

Rows 2,4-DJ

Rows 6,8-DJ

Rows 2,4-DJ

Row 6-SJ

Row 8-SJ

After doing corner B, knit Scollop edging pattern version 1 a total of 47 times along the long side. On the center shawl panel, there should be 9 slipped stitches remaining on the edge until the corner of the shawl.

Do corner A.

After doing corner A, repeat Scollop edging pattern version 2 a total of 19 times along the short side. You will have 5 stitches left before the corner. Do corner B.

You should end where you started. If you’re off by a few stitches, fudge the SJ and DJ so that you end on the slipped stitch just below where you started on the left long side.

Undo the provisional cast on for the Scollop edging, and kitchener stitch the cast on stitches to the live stitches. If you don’t like doing kitchener stitch, you can instead do a 3-needle bind off.

Wash and block the shawl, then weave in the ends.

***

Get my Christian Regency Romantic Suspense novel, The Spinster’s Christmas, free from BookFunnel (no email required)!

My Lady Wynwood’s Spies series starts with Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 1: Archer.

Comments

Melody said…
I like the color. Thanks for the pretty pattern.
Camy Tang said…
You’re very welcome!

Popular Posts

No Cold Bums toilet seat cover

Captain's Log, Stardate 08.22.2008 I actually wrote out my pattern! I was getting a lot of hits on my infamous toilet seat cover , and I wanted to make a new one with “improvements,” so I paid attention and wrote things down as I made the new one. This was originally based off the Potty Mouth toilet cover , but I altered it to fit over the seat instead of the lid. Yarn: any worsted weight yarn, about 120 yards (this is a really tight number, I used exactly 118 yards. My suggestion is to make sure you have about 130 yards.) I suggest using acrylic yarn because you’re going to be washing this often. Needle: I used US 8, but you can use whatever needle size is recommended by the yarn you’re using. Gauge: Not that important. Mine was 4 sts/1 inch in garter stitch. 6 buttons (I used some leftover shell buttons I had in my stash) tapestry needle Crochet hook (optional) Cover: Using a provisional cast on, cast on 12 stitches. Work in garter st until liner measures

Lady Wynwood paperbacks Black Friday sale

All paperbacks in the Lady Wynwood’s Spies series on sale for Black Friday weekend! Click here to purchase on Amazon.

Jane Austen sweepstakes

Win a Library of 30 Historical Romance Novels + Jane Austen Swag Worth $250! This is a delightful surprise I've been eager to share! Join me and 30 extraordinary authors in an enchanting giveaway where we're gifting a vast array of historical romance novels to two fortunate winners! And the cherry on top: The Grand Prize winner will be treated to an exclusive Jane Austen swag pack, worth an impressive $250! You'll get the chance to win a copy of my book, Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 1: Archer, as well as novels from renowned authors like Laura Beers and Kasey Stockton. (Please be aware that not all the historical novels in this giveaway are Christian or sweet.) To enter, simply click the magical link below. Wishing you the best of luck and a journey filled with delightful reads! Join Our Giveaway

Preorder ONCE UPON A COURTSHIP and get a free ebook every month!

My novella, Lissa and the Spy , will first be released in the multi-author box set Once Upon a Courtship: A Sweet Historical Romance Collection , and if you preorder now, you’ll be able to subscribe to a special Reader Club Newsletter. Every month from now until October 2024, you’ll get a free Historical Romance ebook from one of the authors in the box set. 1) Preorder Once Upon a Courtship 2) Fill out this form with your order number 3) Get the secret link and SUBSCRIBE to the Once Upon a Courtship Reader Club Newsletter 4) Get your first free book The sooner you preorder, the more free books you’ll get! You’ll also be alerted when the Once Upon a Courtship box set is available to read. The newsletter will end October 2024 and you will NOT be automatically subscribed to the authors’ individual newsletters. You can sign up for their newsletters yourself if you wish. Preorder Once Upon a Courtship

Grace Livingston Hill romances free to read online

I wanted to update my old post on Grace Livingston Hill romances because now there are tons more options for you to be able to read her books for free online! I’m a huge Grace Livingston Hill fan. Granted, not all her books resonate with me, but there are a few that I absolutely love, like The Enchanted Barn and Crimson Roses . And the best part is that she wrote over 100 books and I haven’t yet read them all! When I have time, I like to dive into a new GLH novel. I like the fact that most of them are romances, and I especially appreciate that they all have strong Christian themes. Occasionally the Christian content is a little heavy-handed for my taste, but it’s so interesting to see what the Christian faith was like in the early part of the 20th century. These books are often Cinderella-type stories or A Little Princess (Frances Hodgson Burnett) type stories, which I love. And the best part is that they’re all set in the early 1900s, so the time period is absolutely fasci

Christmas Historical Romance Sale

I’m participating in the promo above. Click on the graphic to check out all the sweet/clean romance books available and stuff your eBook reader!

Toilet seat cover

Captain’s Log, Supplemental Update August 2008: I wrote up the pattern for this with "improvements"! Here's the link to my No Cold Bums toilet seat cover ! Okay, remember a few days ago I was complaining about the cold toilet seat in my bathroom? Well, I decided to knit a seat cover. Not a lid cover, but a seat cover. I went online and couldn’t find anything for the seat, just one pattern for the lid by Feminitz.com . However, I took her pattern for the inside edge of the lid cover and modified it to make a seat cover. Here it is! It’s really ugly stitch-wise because originally I made it too small and had to extend it a couple inches on each side. I figured I’d be the one staring at it, so who cared if the extension wasn’t perfectly invisible? I used acrylic yarn since, well, that’s what I had, and also because it’s easy to wash. I’ll probably have to wash this cover every week or so, but it’s easy to take off—I made ties which you can see near the back of the seat. And

Tabi socks, part deux

Captain's Log, Stardate 07.25.2008 (If you're on Ravelry, friend me! I'm camytang.) I made tabi socks again! (At the bottom of the pattern is the calculation for the toe split if you're not using the same weight yarn that I did for this pattern (fingering). I also give an example from when I used worsted weight yarn with this pattern.) I used Opal yarn, Petticoat colorway. It’s a finer yarn than my last pair of tabi socks, so I altered the pattern a bit. Okay, so here’s my first foray into giving a knitting pattern. Camy’s top-down Tabi Socks I’m assuming you already know the basics of knitting socks. If you’re a beginner, here are some great tutorials: Socks 101 How to Knit Socks The Sock Knitter’s Companion A video of turning the heel Sock Knitting Tips Yarn: I have used both fingering weight and worsted weight yarn with this pattern. You just change the number of cast on stitches according to your gauge and the circumference of your ankle. Th

"Let Me Hold You" Crossbody Bag Knitting Pattern

My novel, The Lone Rice Ball , is in the multi-author box set, Once Upon a Starry Night , a Christian contemporary romance collection. Also in the box set is my friend Jan Thompson’s novel, Let Me Hold You . I made this pattern for her to celebrate our box set being released. It’s the crossbody bag worn by Jan’s character Maggie. You can download a free PDF of the pattern here (no email necessary). See this pattern in Ravelry. If you are savvy with a sewing machine, you can make a cloth lining and sew it to the inside. If you use a stretchy fabric, you can take advantage of the stretchy nature of the bag. If you leave it unlined, you can take this bag to the beach and easily shake the sand out of it. I happened to have a D-ring and buckle, which I used to make the strap adjustable, but you don’t need these to make this bag. You can simply sew the end of the strap to the bag rather than using the D-ring. If you have a D-ring but not a buckle, you can do a (YO, k2tog) in the

A visit to Zondervan

Whew! After being offline for two weeks, I finished a book, read the Twilight series, and visited my editors at Zondervan! And I have pics! Isn't this nice of them? This was at the front door. This is the lobby area. This is my macro editor, Becky Philpott! This is my senior editor, Sue Brower! This is editorial assistant Bridgette Brooks. On the side, she teaches voice lessons and she gave me a cool pointer about supporting my breath. :) I didn't catch her at her desk, but this is the desk area of my Marketing Director, Alicia Mey! I love her wall. Some of you may know, Zondervan moved its distribution to a centralized location run by their parent company, Harper Collins. So we visited the ghostly warehouse. We thought about throwing a few paper airplanes in the space.