Patterns Inspired by the Tallgrass Prairie

From the book

THE PRESERVE SHAWL

The Preserve, a triangle shawl named for the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas, is a tribute to an animal that was once hunted almost to extinction. Thanks to ranchers, caretakers at the Preserve outside of Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, and flint stones just below the surface of the ground that made mechanized agriculture impossible, the buffalo here still have a home on the range. Hike the paths at the Preserve, spot some buffalo across the rise, and you’re aware that the Tallgrass Prairie doesn’t take your breath away, rather it gives you a chance to catch it.

The largest portion of this shawl depicts the horns flanking wide -set eyes, followed by a wide expanse of one of the big five nutritional grasses – Sideoats Grama. The applied edging repres ents the rolling terrain of the Flint Hills.

Materials

Yarn: Buffalo Wool Company Earth Lace Yarn (2 skeins) Alternate Yarn: Lost City Knits Lost City Silk (1 skein)

Jamieson & Smith 2 Ply Lace (6 balls) Yardage: 1000 yards / 914 meters Color Shown in Sample: Natural bison brown

Needle Size: US 5 / 3.75 mm Finished Size: 72 inches / 183 cm wide at wingspan 36 inches / 91 cm at center spine

This shawl is a basic triangle shawl worked from the top down on a stockinette-based fabric using a lush fiber. The first 3 and last 3 stitches are not charted; they are always knit to create a garter stitch edging. The center stitch is also not charted but is worked as a knit on the RS and as a purl on the WS to create a stockinette stitch spine. In the first chart the even-numbered (WS) rows contain patterning including decreases, increases, and the completion of nupps. (It may help to practice the nupps beforehand to keep them loose, so it will be easy to purl them together as a single cluster stitch on the WS.) On the WS rows decreases are worked as indicated by the leaning of the stitch which actually reverses the direction of the symbol. It helps to think of the symbol leaning toward or away from the just completed stitch. On the WS row if the symbol leans toward the just completed stitch it indicates a right-leaning stitch which would be a p2tog. If the symbol leans away from the just completed stitch it indicates a left-leaning stitch which would be a ssp. In the Sideoats Grama charts the WS rows are not charted but are worked again in stockinette by purling and the completion of RS small nupps, which are purled together as a cluster.

Cast On

I-cord cast on - Cast on 3 stitches. Slip stitches to the other end of needle, k3. Work 5 more i-cord rounds in the same manner. With 3 stitches on right needle and continuing with working yarn, pick up 6 stitches along the side of the i-cord. (9 stitches)

Set Up

Row 1 - k3, yo, k1, yo, k1 (center), yo, k1, yo, k3. (13 stitches) Row 2 - k3, p7, k3. Row 3 - k3, yo, k3, yo, k1 (center), yo, k3, yo, k3. (17 stitches) Row 4 - k3, purl until 3 stitches remain, k3. Continue in established pattern until 49 stitches total are on the needle, end after a WS row.

Begin Buffalo Herd Chart

RS - k3, work Row 1 of Buffalo Herd Chart, k1 (center), work Row 1 of Buffalo Herd Chart, k3. WS - k3, work Row 2 of Buffalo Herd Chart, p1 (center), work Row 2 of Buffalo Herd Chart, k3. Continue as established, completing Rows 1-40 of Buffalo Herd Chart 3 times. (289 stitches)

©2020 Lost City Knits, LLC. 2 | P a g e The Preserve Shawl Design by Denise Bell You should be about halfway through the yarn. If you are using Buffalo Wool Company’s lace yarn, this might be the end of the first ball.

Begin Sideoats Grama Charts

You will note that there are two charts: one for before the center spine stitch, and one for after, both of which show only the RS. The small 3-stitch nupps are purled together on the WS.

RS - k3, work Row 1 of first Sideoats Grama Chart (before center spine), k1 (center), work Row 1 of second Sideoats Grama Chart (after center spine), k3. WS - k3, purl to center stitch, p1 (center), purl until 3 stitches remain, k3. Continue as established through Row 20 of Sideoats Grama Charts. (329 stitches)

SIDEOATS GRAMA CHART (before center spine)

SIDEOATS GRAMA CHART (after center spine)

In this pattern I used a backwards e loop for the M1 (Make 1). RS - k10, (M1, k20) 3 times, (M1, k21) 9 times, (M1, k20) 3 times, M1, k10. (345 stitches) WS - knit.

Using the working yarn and the knitted cast on method, cast on 11 stitches. Row 1 of the Flint Hills Edging (and all odd- numbered rows) are worked from the furthest point of the edging toward the body of the shawl. After slipping the last edging stitch of each RS row (with yarn in front), also slip the closest body stitch. Turn your work and knit the two slipped stitches together, decreasing the body of the shawl by 1 stitch.

When you have completed Row 30 of the last repeat, loosely bind off the edging stitches. Break the yarn, leaving a 6-inch tail to weave in after blocking.

FLINT HILLS EDGING

RS Right side of fabric WS Wrong side of fabric

k Knit yo Wrap the working yarn around the right needle, from front to back (counterclockwise) (single increase). k2tog Knit 2 stitches together (single right- ssk Slip 2 stitches separately knitwise, move stitches back leaning decrease). to the left needle, then knit the slipped stitches together. Nupp (7) Knit, leaving the stitch on the needle, Nupp (3) Knit, leaving the stitch on the needle, then yarn over, knit (3 then yarn over, knit, yarn over, knit, stitches total) into the same stitch. On next round, purl all 3 yarn over, and then knit (7 stitches stitches together as one. total) into the same stitch. On next round, purl all 7 stitches together as one.

k2togtb Knit 2 stitches together through the Join 2 Join 1 stitch from the body of the shawl with an edging back loop. stitch by purling them together.

swyif Slip with yarn in front. swyib Slip with yarn in back.