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# Blooming Flower Shawl
*A Beginner-Friendly Triangular Lace Shawl*

A romantic top-down triangular shawl in cozy worsted weight yarn. The simple garter stitch body grows quickly, while the petal-inspired eyelet border "blooms" along the edge — perfect for adventurous beginners ready to try lace.

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## Finished Measurements
- **Wingspan (after blocking):** approximately 55 in / 140 cm
- **Depth at center back (after blocking):** approximately 26 in / 66 cm

*Note: lace shawls grow significantly with blocking — expect a 15–20% increase in size.*

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## Materials

**Yarn:** Worsted weight (CYC #4)
- Approximately 600 yards / 550 meters
- Suggested fiber: smooth wool or wool blend (avoid heavily textured yarns so the lace shows clearly)
- Sample shown in a soft rose-pink solid color

**Needles:**
- US 8 / 5 mm circular needle, 32 in / 80 cm or longer (to accommodate the full stitch count)
- Long circulars are required — the cable holds the stitches; you still knit flat

**Notions:**
- Tapestry needle
- 2 stitch markers (optional, to mark the center spine)
- Blocking wires or rust-proof T-pins
- Foam blocking mats or a clean bed/towel
- Scissors

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## Gauge
- **18 sts × 36 rows = 4 in / 10 cm in garter stitch (knit every row), measured after blocking**

Gauge is not critical for fit, but it will affect finished size and yarn yardage.

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## Abbreviations (US terms)
- **CO** – cast on
- **k** – knit
- **p** – purl
- **k2tog** – knit 2 stitches together (1 st decreased, right-leaning)
- **ssk** – slip, slip, knit slipped sts together (1 st decreased, left-leaning)
- **k3tog** – knit 3 stitches together (2 sts decreased)
- **yo** – yarn over (1 st increased; creates an eyelet hole)
- **kfb** – knit into front and back of stitch (1 st increased)
- **RS** – right side
- **WS** – wrong side
- **sl** – slip
- **st(s)** – stitch(es)
- **rep** – repeat

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## Construction Notes
This shawl is worked flat, from the top center down, beginning with a small garter tab cast-on (which creates a clean upper edge with no holes). Four stitches are increased every right-side row: one at each edge and two on either side of the center spine. This forms the classic triangular shape. Once the body reaches the desired depth, a 12-row "blooming petal" lace border is worked, finishing with a stretchy bind-off.

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## Pattern

### Step 1: Garter Tab Cast-On

1. CO **3 sts**.
2. Knit 7 rows (4 garter ridges on the RS). Do **not** turn after row 7.
3. Rotate the work 90° clockwise. Pick up and knit **3 sts** along the long edge of the strip (one st in each garter ridge bump).
4. Rotate again 90° clockwise. Pick up and knit **3 sts** from the cast-on edge.

**You now have 9 sts on the needle.**

*Math check: 3 (CO) + 3 (picked up along side) + 3 (picked up from CO edge) = 9 sts ✓*

### Step 2: Set-Up Row (WS)

- **Row 1 (WS):** k3, p3, k3. *(9 sts)*

### Step 3: Establish Increases (Body)

The shawl has 4 sections separated by edge and spine stitches:
- **3 garter edge sts** | **lace/body section** | **1 center spine st** | **lace/body section** | **3 garter edge sts**

**Set-up Increase Row (RS):** k3, yo, k1, yo, k1 (center spine), yo, k1, yo, k3. **(13 sts)**

**Row 2 (WS):** k3, purl to last 3 sts, k3.

Now repeat the following 2-row pattern:

- **Row A (RS – Increase Row):** k3, yo, knit to center st, yo, k1 (center spine), yo, knit to last 3 sts, yo, k3. *(4 sts increased)*
- **Row B (WS):** k3, purl to last 3 sts, k3.

**Continue repeating Rows A and B until you have 247 sts on the needle**, ending after a WS row.

*Stitch count verification: starting from 13 sts, each RS row adds 4 sts. (247 − 13) ÷ 4 = 58.5 — so we adjust as follows:*

**Working count check:** Starting at 9 sts after Set-up Row 1. After Set-up Increase Row = 13 sts. We need to reach 247 sts. (247 − 13) ÷ 4 = 58.5 — not a whole number, so:

**Corrected target:** Work Rows A and B until you have **245 sts** ending with a WS row. *(245 − 13) ÷ 4 = 58 RS increase rows. ✓*

You will have completed **59 RS rows** total in the body (1 set-up + 58 increase rows) and **59 WS rows**.

The body should measure approximately **20 in / 51 cm** down the center spine before blocking.

*Tip: If you want a larger shawl, work more increase rows (each pair adds about ½ in / 1 cm of depth). Just make sure your final stitch count follows the formula **6n + 5** so the lace border fits. Examples: 245, 251, 257, 263…*

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### Step 4: Blooming Petal Lace Border

The border is worked over **12 rows**. The stitch count remains the same throughout the border (245 sts).

**Stitch count layout for the border:**
3 edge sts + (6-st repeat × 39 times) + 5 center sts + 3 edge sts = 3 + 234 + 5 + 3 = **245 sts ✓**

For symmetry, the repeat is centered around the spine.

**Border Row 1 (RS):** k3, *yo, ssk, k2, k2tog, yo*; rep from * to last 5 sts, k2, k3. *(245 sts)*

**Border Row 2 and all WS rows through Row 12:** k3, purl to last 3 sts, k3.

**Border Row 3 (RS):** k3, *k1, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, k1*; rep from * to last 5 sts, k2, k3. *(245 sts)*

**Border Row 5 (RS):** k4, *yo, k1, k3tog, k1, yo, k1*; rep from * to last 4 sts, k4. *(245 sts)*

*Stitch check Row 5: each 6-st repeat: yo (+1) + k1 + k3tog (−2) + k1 + yo (+1) + k1 = net 0. ✓*

**Border Row 7 (RS):** k3, *yo, ssk, k2, k2tog, yo*; rep from * to last 5 sts, k2, k3. *(245 sts)*

**Border Row 9 (RS):** k3, knit to last 3 sts, k3. *(eyelet "rest" row — plain garter)*

**Border Row 11 (RS):** k3, *yo, k2tog*; rep from * to last 4 sts, k1, k3. *(eyelet picot row, 245 sts — yo and k2tog cancel out)*

**Border Row 12 (WS):** k3, purl to last 3 sts, k3.

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### Step 5: Stretchy Bind-Off (RS)

A stretchy bind-off is essential so the lace border can open fully when blocked.

**Method (k2tog through back loop bind-off):**
1. K2.
2. Slip both sts back to the left needle.
3. K2tog through back loop (k2tog tbl).
4. *K1, slip both sts back to left needle, k2tog tbl*; rep from * until 1 st remains.
5. Cut yarn leaving a 6 in / 15 cm tail and pull through the last loop.

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### Step 6: Finishing

1. Weave in all yarn ends on the wrong side using a tapestry needle, working along the garter ridges so the ends are invisible.
2. Trim tails close to the work, leaving about ¼ in / 0.5 cm.

### Step 7: Blocking (Do Not Skip!)

Blocking transforms the shawl — the lace will not look "bloomed" until it has been wet-blocked.

1. Soak the shawl in lukewarm water with a small amount of wool wash for 20 minutes.
2. Gently squeeze out excess water (do not wring). Roll in a clean towel and press to remove more water.
3. Lay the shawl flat on blocking mats or a clean towel-covered surface.
4. Stretch the shawl into a triangle:
   - Pin the top edge straight, stretching to about 55 in / 140 cm wide.
   - Pin the center back point down, about 26 in / 66 cm from the top edge.
   - Pin out each "petal" of the lace border into a small point along the two angled edges. Aim for evenly spaced points (you will have approximately 40 points along each edge).
5. Allow to dry completely (24–48 hours) before unpinning.

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## Pattern Summary / Math Validation

| Stage | Stitch Count | Verification |
|---|---|---|
| Garter tab CO | 9 sts | 3 + 3 + 3 = 9 ✓ |
| After set-up inc row | 13 sts | 9 + 4 = 13 ✓ |
| End of body (after 58 inc rows) | 245 sts | 13 + (58 × 4) = 245 ✓ |
| Border layout | 245 sts | 3 + (6 × 39) + 5 + 3 = 245 ✓ |
| After bind-off | 0 sts | All sts bound off ✓ |

**Total RS rows worked in body:** 59
**Total rows in border:** 12
**Approximate finished wingspan:** 245 sts ÷ 4.5 sts/in ≈ 54.4 in unblocked → ~55 in blocked ✓

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## Tips for Success
- **Place a marker** on either side of the center spine stitch to make tracking the increases foolproof.
- **Count stitches every 10 rows** during the body — small mistakes are easy to fix early.
- **Use a lifeline** (thread a smooth contrasting yarn through all stitches on a WS row) before starting the lace border, in case you need to rip back.
- **Trust the blocking.** Pre-blocked lace looks crumpled — that's normal!

Enjoy your blooming flower shawl — happy knitting! 🌸