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If you’ve always thought of lace knitting as too serious or complicated, this shawl is meant for you!

Kuda is a playful and easy take on lace, designed to be enjoyable at every step of the way.

It is knit top-down in a three-quarter square shape that stays securely over your shoulders. There is no lace patterning on WS rows - perfect for peaceful knitting. Choose between 3 sizes - small (shawlette), medium and large (S, M, L) - see testers’ photos.

You can see a video of the shawl here.

Kuda means “umbrella” in my mother tongue, and inspiration comes from my favourite season - the Indian monsoon! Dark clouds roll in over the horizon, the temperature drops, the fresh smell of wet earth begins to rise, and warm drops splatter, followed by cool sheets of rain. That’s when a myriad umbrellas (usually black!) appear and bob about on the streets.

In the shawl body, eyelet columns flow downwards like streaks of rain on an umbrella. The slanting spines and the geometric lines in the border echo the shapes of umbrella ribs. Pastel colours in stripes and border represent more contemporary umbrella shades, as well as fresh new shoots and flowers after rain. Pearl-finish beads along the lower edge sparkle like raindrops.

I designed Kuda during the time of strict Covid lockdown, when I needed something both soothing and satisfying. As I knitted, I began to feel a deep emotional connect with the shawl, and while working through the sections, I felt I was passing through a place of darkness into hopefulness and light.

Hope it brings you peace and joy too!

Many thanks to my wonderful testers: frkstrik knitting-princess siropdorgeat svetula27

Skill level: Advanced beginner / Intermediate

Shawl sizes: S (M, L)
Top edge: 42 (54, 62)” / 107 (137, 157) cm
Straight lower edge (back center when worn): 27 (37, 43)” / 64 (94, 109) cm
Complete lower edge: 81 (111, 129)” / 206 (282, 328) cm
Height (blue arrow): 19 (23, 27)” /48 (58, 69) cm

Yarn
Light fingering weight yarn, 547 yds/500 m/100g in 5 colors: Main color (MC), A, B, C (stripes) and D (border).

Yarn requirements for size S (M, L)
MC: 192 (310, 540) yds
A: 19 (26, 33) yds; B: 9 (11, 14) yds; C: 12 (16, 20) yds
D: 133 (170, 208) yds.

Black shawl in my photos is size medium; colors used were MC: black, A: teal, B; pale pink, C: light green, D: beige.

Note: You can use fingering, sport or lace weight yarn with suitable needles, but gauge and yarn requirements will differ. Testers used both fingering and light fingering yarn.

Needles & notions
3mm circular needle (40” or longer), US size-4 3.5mm needle for bind off, 10 stitch markers, tapestry needle. Beading: 0.7mm crochet hook (or needle and thread), for S (M, L): 120 (150, 180) 3.5mm 6/0 seed beads.

Gauge
Approx. 20 sts and 24 rows = 4” in St st with 3mm needles.
Change needle size if needed, to obtain gauge. Gauge is not critical but will affect the yardage and finished size.

Instructions
Pattern is both written and charted. Also, for the more visually oriented, I have provided tables which clearly delineate sections for each row.

If you’d like to see more, please see my Instagram feed: @padma.r1
There will be more photos, videos and in-progress posts about the shawl coming up there :)
Update: see the beautiful drape of the shawl in this video (click video for sound)

This pattern is a part of the Monsoon Memoirs collection by InDesCo (Indian Designers’ Collaboration).