Boxing Day Bonus is a shawl designed to use up 20 mini skeins (perfect for that advent calendar you’re dying to use) into a beautiful, wearable piece that will fit into any wardrobe!

The shawl is worked sideways beginning with the right tip. There’s a video included to show you how to do a variation on the garter-tab cast that includes the beautifully polished mock i-cord edging which borders the entire shawl. It is worked as you go so there’s no tedious finishing and because the shawl is worked sideways, the rows never get too long.

You increase until you get to the center panel where triangles are worked with short rows in either garter stitch or eyelets. From there you’ll decrease for the left side of the shawl. Best of all, the design is all done in garter stitches (not a purl in sight) and the colors change just often enough to keep you from getting bored!

If you have 20g mini skeins from a traditional advent calendar you’ll have more than enough to complete each section but smaller amounts can work for many of the sections too. This is a great chance to use up leftovers from other projects that are too special to part with.

Yarn-Fingering Weight

• 20 mini skeins of fingering weight yarn (smaller minis & leftovers can also be used). 100% wool or wool/nylon blend recommended
• The yarns used in my sample were a combination of leftovers from previous projects and mini skeins from indie dyers. Most are a 75% superwash merino/ 25% nylon blend, 463 yards/ 423 meters per 100 grams. Some of my favorite minis are https://www.lavenderluneyarn.co/ (“Autumn Feels” Minis - E, F, J, R, S) & https://www.etsy.com/shop/agirlandherwool/ (Various Seasonal Minis - B, D, H, L, O, Q).

Yarn amounts used for each color used in sample:

• D, E & P - 16 grams (74 yards/ 68 meters)
• G & Q - 14 grams (65 yards/ 59 meters)
• C & R - 12 grams (56 yards/ 51 meters)
• A, B, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, S & T - 10 grams each (46 yards/ 42 meters)
• F – 9 grams (41 yards/ 38 meters)
• O - 7 grams (32 yards/ 29 meters)

Total Yarn Used: 242 grams (1,117 yards/ 1,021 meters)

Finished Size

• 106 in (269 cm) wide across the top; 15 in (38 cm) deep at center

Pattern Info

• This pattern has been tech edited & test knit.
• Instructions are written, not charted.
• Check boxes are available if you like to keep track of your rows line by line.
• Pattern includes a schematic that shows the color placement so you can color it in and/or record your plans for which mini skeins you’re planning to use for each color.

About the Name

According to historians, on Descember 26th, called Boxing Day in many countries, aristocrats and lords put together Christmas boxes with small gifts, money and food to deliver to their servants who worked on Christmas Day. These “bonuses” were a recognition of the servant’s good service throughout the year.
In our knitting community, the yarn advent calendar has become a new tradition, with friends exchanging advent calendars or knitters saving their pennies to buy one from a favorite indie dyers. We delight in opening a mini skein each day until Christmas, and maybe a full skein on Christmas Day. This shawl pattern is your Boxing Day Bonus. A bit of extra cheer meant to give you the chance to have fun with your minis. Arrange and rearrange them until its suits you—or just pick one and cast on and enjoy the thrill of choosing as you go! This is designed to use 20 colors because, let’s face it, you may not like all 24 minis you’ve received. Keep in mind you don’t need to use an advent calendar at all. Any yarn in your stash will do!