Pine tree shawl

Here it is--my Christmas/Holiday gift to all of you!  I finished my Pine tree shawl pattern, finally.

Pine tree lace shawl

by Sara L. Stichert

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This small shawl features Shetland pine trees as a border, with a fir cone pattern for the rest of the shawl. Beads are an optional feature on the edging of the shawl.

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Materials needed:

size 4 circular lace needles with a 32 inch cable

459 yds fingering weight yarn

stitch markers (to put between pattern repeats)

darning needle to weave in ends

size 6/0 seed beads (optional for edging)

size 11 steel crochet hook to put beads on edging

The sample shawl was knitted on size 4 circular lace needles with Trekking Hand Art fingering weight yarn in the Tundra colorway. It used about 459 yards of yarn and the shawl blocked out to 27 x 54 inches.


By varying the yarn weight and needle size, you can make this shawl larger or smaller. You can also make it larger by increasing the number of fir cone pattern repeats by two pattern repeats before you move on to the pine tree border pattern. Please note that you will need more yarn if you vary the pattern by increasing repeats.

A note on charts….

This pattern uses charted design. The odd rows of the charts are usually the right side of your knitting, the even rows the wrong side. Begin reading the charts on row 1 (and all odd rows) by starting at the right side of the chart, reading the pattern right to left. For row 2 (and all even rows), read the chart from left to right.

Abbreviations used in this pattern are:

K or k = knit

P or p = purl

k2tog = knit two stitches together

p2tog = purl two stitches together

M1 = make one stitch by picking up the thread between two stitches, twisting it and then knitting this stitch

yo = yarnover

psso = pass slipped stitch(es) over knitted or purled stitch

SSP = slip one stitch as if to knit, slip another stitch as if to knit, transfer these stitches back to left needle, then purl together through the back loops.

SSK = slip one stitch as if to knit, slip another as if to knit, knit stitches together through the back loops

Sl1 = slip one stitch as if to purl

WS = wrong side

RS = right side

Beading instructions for edging

This shawl also has optional beads in the edging. The placement of beads is indicated in the edging chart with a B. To place the bead on a stitch, first knit the stitch. You will then pick up one bead on the size 11 crochet hook. Slide the stitch you just knitted onto the crochet hook and slide the bead down over the stitch. Replace the stitch on the right needle.

Finishing instructions

Bind off using stretchy bind off: k1, *k1, transfer two stitches back to left needle, k2 tog through back loops*. Repeat between * across until all stitches are bound off. Weave in ends and block severely. Trim ends after blocking to avoid ends popping out during the blocking process.

Cast on instructions and first 9 rows

Begin the shawl by casting on 3 stitches. Knit 6 rows in garter stitch, slipping the first stitch of each row. Pick up 3 stitches along the garter stitch edge, and then pick up 3 stitches from the cast on edge. You will now have 9 stitches on your needle.

Setup rows for chart 1:

Row 1 (WS): Sl1, k2, p to last 3 stitches, k3.

Row 2 (RS): Sl1, k2, yo, k1, yo, k1, yo, k1, yo, k3.

Row 3 (WS): Sl1, k2, p to last 3 st., k3

Row 4 (RS): Sl1, k2, yo, k3, yo, k1, yo, k3,yo, k3

Row 5 (WS): Sl1, k2, p to last 3 st., k3

Row 6 (RS): Sl1, k2, yo, k5, yo, k1, yo, k5,yo, k3

Row 7 (WS): Sl1, k2, p to last 3 st, k3

Row 8 (RS): Sl1, k2, yo, k7, yo, k1, yo, k7, yo, k3

Row 9 (WS): Sl1, k2, p to last 3 st., k3

You will now have 25 stitches on your needle.

You can now proceed to chart 1.

Click on the following images to make them bigger.  If you want a pretty copy of my pattern, email me at saraleestichert@aol.com

Image of chart 1 (not very good, though):

Here's chart 2 for the fir cone pattern:

Here's chart 3 for the Shetland pine tree border:

And, here's the final chart for the edging. 

Happy knitting and Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, etc.

Sometimes you pick the project, sometimes it picks you

I apologize that I haven't posted in a while.  I am still sick.  My cold morphed into a lovely ear infection.  I am hoping that it feels better by Thanksgiving.  I am tired of being sick.

A lot has happened since I posted last. 

I finished my Little Pumpkins socks and now I started a new shawl.  The shawl pattern is sort of a Franken-pattern.  I am using part of a shawl pattern for a fir cone section of the triangular shawl and a modified version of a Shetland pine trees pattern.  Haven't decided totally on the edging yet, but I am leaning towards the one that Evelyn Clark used on her Swallowtail Shawl because it sort of has a pine tree shape.  If I have the time I'll write it up and put it on my blog as a Christmas gift to you guys.

Here's what the beginning looks like:

The yarn is Trekking Handpaints.  Isn't it pretty?  I thought the yarn was far too pretty to be made into socks.  Perhaps I'll put some beads in the edging.

Our garage door broke on November 1.  One of the springs broke and lodged itself in the wall of the garage.  Thankfully, it wasn't me or my car that it landed on.  Unfortunately for us, the door and the springs were old (probably 1970's vintage) and it would have costed nearly as much to fix as replacing it.  So, we chose replacement.  The new door is lovely--$980 worth of loveliness.  Now we just need to work on the re-siding and roof.  It's always something.

Isn't it lovely?

This past Sunday evening the kids in the house next door had company.  Their friends backed right into our picket fence when they were leaving.  Of course, they didn't tell us about it and we didn't notice the damage.  Their mother owns the house and lives downstairs.  She told Paulette that she would pay for the fixing on Monday evening when she saw her.  The mom was upset about it because she noticed it on her birthday. 

Here's the damage:

Perhaps they need backing lessons?  I am annoyed for many reasons.  I had plans for Saturday.  Now I won't be doing that because we need to fix the fence then.  If this were summer, it would be fixed already.  Unfortunately it gets dark really early now.  I work until 4:30PM.  The fence is set into our lot by nearly 2 feet.  One has to wonder where they would have ended up if the fence wasn't there to stop them.  I suspect alcohol was involved.  The fence posts won't have to be replaced.  They are lucky because they would have been the ones doing the digging for that since it was so much fun the first time around. 

Well, time to go now.  Hope it isn't so long before I post next time.