It has been brought to my attention that a very similar shawl design was published by Diana Rozenshteyn a few months before Rioja. Palessie features the same lace in a similar shape, as well as a picot BO. I have written with Diana and assured her that these similarities are purely coincidental. Beyond the similarities, Palessie is much wider and a crescent shape, constructed in a different way. If you like Rioja, I encourage you to check out Palessie to see if you prefer its crescent shape and construction.

Texture and lace combine in Rioja, a pretty semi-circular shawlette with a bit of Spanish feel. Garter stitch gives it squish and the two very simple lace patterns open up the shawl and let it flutter at the picot-encrusted edge. Rioja begins with just a few stitches, and grouped increases are performed just after each textured band to give it its shape. This piece is certainly easy enough for a beginner, with enough going on to keep it interesting for more advanced knitters.

Rioja is a one-skein project, requiring only a single skein of sock yarn (which I know you have tons of in your stash). But because Rioja is knit from the top down, it is simple to make it larger -- and detailed instructions for optional sections have been provided should you have more yarn and wish to do so.

The sample used 97g of Malabrigo Yarn sock, equaling about 427 yds / 390 m.

Technical editing by Alison Green.

Please come ask questions and share progress or FO photos in The Yarniad’s Symposium group, here!

ERRATUM
2/10/14 - A step was missing from the Picot BO instructions, which now read: “Next row (RS), work Picot BO: CO 2 sts using the Cable CO method, BO 4 sts, then place last st worked back onto left hand needle; repeat from to last st, CO 2 sts using the Cable CO method, BO 3 sts, then break yarn and pull yarn tail through last st to fasten.” This was corrected in version 2 of the pattern.