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I fell in love with the Scale Quilting stitch a dozen years ago when I was working on a Learn-to-Knit Afghan from Barbara Walker’s book of the same name. Now - 12 years and many afghans, shawls, and sweaters later - I’ve gone back to it to make a feminine, two-color shawl. As soon as I thought of adding beads, I knew what the name of the design needed to be!

This shawl is knit from the bottom up, so you get the slow part (the ruffle) over with while you’re still excited about knitting it. The overlay section is surprisingly quick, even with the beads, because you slip so many stitches without working them. The eyelet section goes even faster since the rows get shorter and shorter!

Skills required:
• Increasing
• Decreasing
• Slipping stitches
• Yarn overs
• Horizontal braid
• Beading

None of these techniques are difficult, but some are a bit fiddly and any counting errors will show up, so it is not mindless knitting! (See the Helpful Tutorials page in my group for help with unfamiliar techniques)

Instructions are included for a small swatch that uses all the stitch patterns so that you can familiarize yourself with the techniques and try out your color choices. You need a certain amount of contrast for the overlay to show up. Please swatch!!! You really don’t want to decide you aren’t happy with your colors or their placement after knitting the ruffle and the first braid!

Additional materials needed:
• Size 6/0 beads: 174 for the kerchief, 312 for the medium shawl, and 468 for the large shawl, plus 9 for the swatch

Measurements:
• Kerchief - 38” wingspan, 16” deep
• Medium shawl - 56” wingspan, 23” deep
• Large shawl - 61” wingspan, 26” deep

Gauge is not critical but will affect the size of the finished shawl and the amount of yardage needed.

Yardage details (ruffle and overlay color/background color):
• Kerchief - 200/220 (420 total)
• Medium shawl - 290/340 (630 total)
• Large shawl - 405/420 (825 total)

Pink and brown shawl sample knit in madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light in Rose and Dust Bowl. Fuschia and gray kerchief sample knit in madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light in Lolita and Smokestack.