This shawl was created for the Glasgow School of Yarn 2012 Design Competition. P/hop celebrated the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with a Dear Green KAL!

I love living in Glasgow, but in the winter months, with the relentless rain, cold and darkness, can take their toll. So I’ve designed a cosy behemoth of a shawl which I can wrap around me like a massive hug, reminding myself the reasons why I adore this city. Glasgow’s name means ‘dear green place’. The city’s coat of arms and motto refer to the stories of its patron saint, St. Mungo: this is the bird that never flew / this is the tree that never grew / this is the bell that never rang / this is the fish that never swam. The shawl uses lace motifs representing a bird in flight, a tree, and a bell, ending with the traditional ‘Shetland’ fishtail lace pattern.

My version is worked in a colourway reminiscent of the view of the trees I could see from my window or walking along Queen Margaret bridge in the early autumn: leaves predominately green, with flecks of orange and gold. As well as the ‘Big’ version (pictured, 206 cm across, 86 cm down the centre), this pattern also includes instructions for a shawlette that can be made with one skein of sock yarn, and a medium-sized lace shawl that uses approximately 900 yards of 2-ply.

Gauge is not crucial, but depending on whether you are a loose or a tight knitter you may want to go up or down one or two sizes from the needle size recommended.

NOTE - A number of knitters have commented that 400 yards was not enough yarn to complete the shawlette version of the shawl. The wonderful whitehart has made a spreadsheet to help you calculate whether you’ll need another skein to finish.

This pattern has been generously donated to the project by MSF supporters and is available for your knitting pleasure.

In return, we ask that you make a donation to p/hop based on the hours of enjoyment you will get from our patterns.

Details of how to donate are included on the same page as the the download link.