French Creek is another one of those any-reasonable-yarn, any-reasonable-gauge shawls (see note). It’s knit from narrowest to broadest point, with a steady rate of increase and a pattern that makes it easily customizable.

Knit it as a mini-shawl in just one standard (420-440yd) skein of luxury lace- or sockweight, as currently shown, or add another skein and keep going for a larger wrap.

This pattern includes both a written pattern .PDF and an informal photo tutorial for the lateral braid. For this design, the wonky tension caused by working a lateral braid is embraced, and you don’t need to work it extra tightly or go down a needle size for the lateral braid rows.

Gauge:
Gauge is informal! Knit at a gauge that gives you a fabric you like!
Alternately: the sample shown, gauge is an airy 17 sts and 26 rows over 4”/10cm of stockinette, knit flat and blocked. Please be sure to check your gauge. Because who doesn’t want to do a gauge swatch when you could just ignore this part? What kind of madlad would do such a thing etc. etc. Anyway, that is the section on gauge.

Materials:

• For the sample shown: 1 skein or about 375-438 yards/ meters of gnarledpaw Filomena, or a similar fingering-weight yarn
• 1 40” circular needle in US4-5/3.5.5-3.75mm, or size needed for gauge
• Tapestry needle

Note: Reasonable, because you could knit this in the bulkiest yarn you can spin or find just for spite, or the challenge, I guess. But it might be oppressively heavy. But this shawl should be pretty nice in anything from lace weight to worsted/traditional aran, in my opinion, and I like the idea of it in silky yarns like the one shown or rustic wools; the look will be very different and there are a lot of possibilities here.