A formatted for Knit Companion version of Affinity is also available on Create2Thrive.

Inspired by the romantic Edwardian era fashion, Affinity is a long, deep crescent-shape shawl with ends that curve up. It is elegant and feminine without being over-the-top frilly. Affinity can be knitted with one yarn – from smooth yarn such as pure silk, silk blend, pure wool, and wool blend – to fuzzy yarn that contains mohair, or two yarns with distinct textural differences, smooth versus fuzzy, of the same or very similar colorway. It is worked from the top down with increases at the edges as well as throughout the body. It uses approximately 600-675y / 550-620m of fingering-weight yarns if using one yarn OR 330-375y / 300-345m of the smooth and 270-300y / 250-275m the fuzzy yarn if using two. It may also be knitted in heavy-lace-weight yarn for a more open fabric or sport-weight yarn for a warm and cozy result.

Affinity may be knitted without beads, with one-color beads, or with two different color beads of similar value.

“Bud Stitch” Diagram Clarification
Legend 2, page 4 – the “sheer” upside down triangle just below the big 5 on sections A, C, and H is how/where the “bud stitch” is worked on the graph and gives a general impression of how the stitch will look in the context of the seven rows delineated in the diagram. This stitch starts at the stitch with the big 5, (which is the 5th row of the 7 row stitch graphic) and you will k,yo,k,yo,k in that stitch, but only AFTER you follow the instructions in the first 2 pictorial boxes in the pattern, as follows:

• Work the stitches to the symbol “5,” (The first Pictorial Box)
• Instead of working the stitch on row 4, knit the stitch two rows below on row 2 (The 2nd Pictorial Box)
• Do not slip the stitch off the needle, yo, knit, yo, knit, all into the same stitch (The 3rd Pictorial) This will be the k,yo,k,yo,k into the Big 5 stitch.
• Then you will continue using the 5 stitches you just created on the next two rows (purl 5 times on rows 6 and 4-stitch decreass on rows 7 of the diagram) to complete the bud stitch.
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Skill Level
Medium. Charts only. Pattern does not include row-by-row written instruction. Includes interesting Japanese stitches.

Yarns
Heavy lace (no lighter than 760 y / 695 m per 100 g), fingering, and sport weight yarns are all suitable as well as a set of two yarns of the same or very similar colorway – in solid, semi solid, or subtle variegated – with distinct textural differences (one smooth with high silk content and one fuzzy with mohair content). Finished dimensions may be adjusted by using different yarn weight and needle size to achieve varying gauges. Sample used 310 y/285 m of fingering-weight pure-silk and 262 y / 240 m of mohair-silk yarn. Gauge isn’t important for fit in shawls but if you are a loose knitter, make sure you have extra yarn.

To best showcase the various stitch patterns of Affinity, self-striping or variegated yarn with vast tonal differences is NOT recommended.

Gauge
Gauge isn’t important but will determine the final size of the shawl. Sample swatch with fingering-weight fuzzy mohair yarn using Size US5 / 3.75mm is approximately 18 stitches and 28 rows to 4” / 10.0c m square after fairly aggressive blocking.

Tools
Circular needles in size US4 / 3.5mm, US5 / 3.75mm, and US8 / 5.0mm (if using the I-cord bind off method) depending on your gauge, cable needle, stitch markers, blunt tapestry needle, crochet hook or other tool if you are adding beads, T-pins, and blocking wire(s) and mat (optional).

Beads
Size 6 or 8 rounds for heavy lace weight (500-600m/100g), size 6 rounds or size 5 triangles for fingering weight (400m/100g). Bead all or just some of these charts, using one color throughout or two different colors (I recommend two different colors of similar value).

Using one color
Section A – 2
Section B – 41
Section C – 41
Section D – 72
Section E – 68
Section H – 2
Section I – 18
Section J – 228
Section K – 208
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Total – 680 beads

Using two different colors – MC / CC
Section A – 2 / 0
Section B – 41 / 0
Section C – 13 / 28
Section D – 0 / 72
Section E – 34 / 34
Section H – 0 / 2
Section I – 18 / 0
Section J – 67 / 161
Section K – 208 / 0
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Total – 383 / 297 beads

A sincere thank you goes to our wonderful test knitters without whose help and invaluable input, this pattern would never have been realized. Thank you!

Links to project page, in the order of the pictures on the left:
Hayley / hayleyts – Affinity
Hayley / hayleyts – Affinity Again
Alyssa / crazyfabulous – Affinity
Diana / dyedianadye – Affinity - Burnished Bronze
Fiona / knittingfiona – Affinity
Glenys / Geekay – Affinity on Fire
Ma / carfieldma – Affinity
Tish / besth – Affinity for Alabaster

Trang / TvBlackMoE – Shipboard Romances and a Natural Affinity

For more information about them, please see p. 19 of the pattern!