This is a mystery knit along I found on Facebook. I decided to jump in when I learned that I have taken a class from the author, Jen Lucas. I did not learn that the project is a shawl until I downloaded the yarn requirements.

I learned from the Facebook group that this mystery knit along happened last December. All three sets of instructions are available now. I printed out a couple of complete copies, one to keep pristine and one to write all over.

First issue with the author: there’s no clue as to what should be color A and what should be color B. After getting it wrong, I ripped it back to zero having realized I needed to cast on with the lighter color.

Second issue with the author: garter stitch edge throughout. I don’t like the appearance. My first change: the last stitch of every row is purled, the first stitch of every row is slipped as if to knit.

Third issue with the author: the three stitch edging between the selvage and the first yarn over is too narrow. I added on.

Fourth issue with the author: the center increase set (M1R, SM, K1, SM, M1L) causes some real difficulty with the markers in the way and the increases either side of a single stitch. I chose to switch to a more attractive yarn over increase.
Being the intelligent person that I am, I don’t think I need a marker on each side of the same stitch to know that it is the center stitch. I left off a marker after the center stitch on the right side rows.
Now I started to truly redesign Jen’s pattern. Instead of having the center stitch be Garter Stitch like the others, I decided that on wrong side rows I would slip it with the yarn in front. Now I have a pair of yarn overs on each side of what appears to be an elongated center Stockinette Stitch.
After working a bit, I could see that the selvage yarn overs did not look as nice as the center set. I ripped everything out and went back to the drawing board. I now have the definitive cover band version of Jen’s pattern.

With lighter color, CO 4 Sts.
Row A (RS): K3, P1
Row B (WS): Slip 1 Knitwise (SL1K), K3
Rows C and E: repeat Row A
Rows D and F: repeat Row B. At end of row F, do NOT turn your work. Instead as described in the original pattern, rotate clockwise and pick up and knit three stitches along the selvage, rotate clockwise again, along the cast on, pick up and knit three stitches, pick up and purl the last stitch.

Now you’re ready to turn your work and do my version of Row 1 (RS) SL1K, K2, M1, K1, Place Marker (PM), YO, K1, YO, PM, K1, YO, K1, YO, PM, K1, M1, K2, P1
(17 stitches…throughout the rest of the pattern my version will have four more stitches than the original pattern because the selvage is five stitches on each side, not three.)

Row 2 (WS): SL1K, K3, SL1 WYIF, SM, K to 1 ST before next marker, SL1 WYIF, SM, K to next marker, SM, SL1 WYIF, K3, P1

Row 3: SL1K, K4, SM, YO, K to next marker, YO, SM, K1, YO, K to next marker, YO, SM, K4, P1 (21 Sts).

Just as in original pattern, repeat rows 2 and 3 24 more times, 117 stitches.

When you come to the chart and change colors, don’t break yarn, just add the new color. Later you will be told when to break your yarn.

The chart is worked the same except for the three stitches at each side are changed to the five in the pattern you have been working, the M1 increases are now YO’s, and the center stitch on the WS row is now SL1 WYIF.