Octave is an elegant and versatile small shawl that is knitted sideways in one piece. While the 8-row repeat worked throughout is easy to memorize and intuitive to knit, the sideways construction ensures that there is plenty of action to keep your interest as you work your way across the rows, including a wrap-around garter selvedge, decorative slipped stitches framing a garter stitch body, mesh lace border details and a pretty sawtooth edge.

Octave is appropriate for both newer knitters who are looking to try some simple lace that is not too daunting as well as experienced knitters looking for a relaxing, stress-free knit that works up quickly.

The Octave pattern includes both charts and full written out instructions for those of you who prefer not to use charts.

YARN CHOICE: Octave is the perfect pattern to use for that one special skein of fingering or sock weight yarn you’ve been saving for just the right project. And it’s a great stash-buster, as the design will work well with a variety of yarn choices—tonal and slightly variegated hand-dyed yarns as well as gradients, heathers or solids. While dimensions and yardage are provided for fingering weight, Octave could certainly be worked in other yarn weights as well.

SIZE AND YARDAGE: The size is easily adjustable to your available yardage, from a shawlette to a larger shawl. Detailed instructions explain how to use a digital scale to weigh your yarn when using limited quantities to make sure you don’t run out. (In a nutshell, the 8-row increase side chart is worked until at least 52% of the yarn remains before continuing through to the end.) But if you don’t have a scale, check out the following sample sizes and correlating yardages of the shawls pictured on this page to get an idea of how much yarn is required for various sizes:

• Wonderland Yarns Mary Ann, “A Lil’ Bubbly” colorway (yellow): 60 x 14” (152 x 36 cm); 415 yards (379 m) - 28X Chart 2
• Wonderland Yarns Mary Ann, “Confused Clamor” colorway (purple): 64 x 15” (163 x 38 cm), 450 yards (411 m) - 30X Chart 2
• Western Sky Knits Aspen Silk Fingering, “Fireburst“ colorway (teal): 75 x 18” (191 x 46 cm), 570 yards (521 m) - 35X Chart 2

Note that a smaller shawlette--not pictured--worked at the 26X Chart 2 size used 400 yards (366 m) and measures 56 x 13” (142 x 33 cm).

CONSTRUCTION: Octave is worked sideways from end to end, with the lace border worked at the same time as the garter body. The shape, which is a hybrid between a crescent and an elongated triangle with a rounded bottom edge, is created by increasing one stitch every four rows when working the first half and then decreasing stitches at the same rate for the second half. These increases and decreases are worked on the border side of the garter body, on the right side of the work. The middle eight rows of the shawl are worked straight with no increases or decreases. There is a 2-stitch garter border along the wingspan edge.

ALSO INCLUDED are helpful hints and tips for calculating stitch counts for any size and blocking your Octave to perfection.

Special thanks to my talented friend Paula Feldmann for knitting the lovely silky teal Octave sample pictured on this page as well as three other beautiful Octaves, and for her astute suggestions and moral support. Plus she gifted me the teal shawl, what a nice surprise that was! Woo hoo, can’t wait to wear it, I’m turning up the AC!