autumn leaves shawl – free pattern

The Autumn Leaves Shawl features a simple stockinette body knit sideways in a shallow triangle shape. The leafy border is knitted on at the same time. Made in a loose gauge, Autumn Leaves is an airy layering piece, just enough for when there’s a chill in the air.

This design works great with that special skein of fingering weight yarn. The Autumn Leaves Shawl can, however, be made in any size, using any weight of yarn. Just knit until you have reached half of your yarn or half the size you want the shawl or shawlette to be. Since the body is in plain stockinette this pattern is also very suited to use with hand dyed yarns. Instructions for the lace border are both written and charted.

Materials

Yarn
360 m (393 yds) / 100 g Knitcola Alpaca Hand-dyed Yarn [100 % alpaca] in light blue.
Substitute any fingering weight yarn in a solid or semi-solid color for a similar result.

Recommended needles
Size 4.5 mm (US 7), 80 cm (32 inches) circular needles were used for the sample shawl.

Other

• Yarn needle
• 2 stitch markers

Gauge

Gauge is not critical in this design. For the sample shawl measured after blocking: 14 sts / 22 rows = 10 cm (4 inches) over stockinette.

Size and finished measurements

Finished dimensions of the sample shawl: 140 cm (55 inches) along the upper edge and a depth of 32 cm (12 ½ inches), measured after blocking.
The sample shawl has a total of 16 leaves.

This shawl can easily be made larger by using heavier yarn and/or working more repeats. This will, of course, increase the amount of yarn needed.

Skills required

This pattern features lace knitted on both right and wrong side rows. Stitches used include knit, purl, k2tog, p2tog, kfb, m1, skp, yo, and sl2-k-p2sso. Therefore, this pattern is suitable for the intermediate or lace knitter.

Abbreviations

BO – bind off
CO – cast on
k – knit
k2tog – knit two together
kfb – knit in the front and in the back of the stitch
m1 – increase by lifting the loop between the stitch just knit and the next one from the front with your left needle, then knit into the back of the loop
p – purl
p2tog – purl two together
PM – place marker
rep – repeat
RM – remove marker
RS/WS – right side/wrong side
skp – slip, knit, pass the slipped stitch over the knitted stitch
sl2-k1-p2sso – slip two together, knit one, pass two stitches over (2 stitches decreased)
sl1 wyif – slip 1 stitch as if to purl, with yarn in front
SM – slip marker
st(s) – stitch(es)
yo – yarn over

Pattern notes

• Work the Autumn Leaves shawl sideways from tip to tip, with increases and then decreases worked on one side every other row. The lace border is worked simultaneously.
• The pattern has a garter stitch border of 4 stitches on the upper edge, with a decorative slipped stitch edge finishing.
• Always slip markers as you come to them.
• Instead of the skp decrease ssk can be used if desired.

Stitch guide

• Slipped stitch edge: Slip the last stitch on each WS row as if to purl, with yarn in front.
• Wrap and Turn (w&t): Bring your yarn to the front between the needles, slip the next stitch purl-wise, bring your yarn between the needles to the back again, slip the stitch back to the left needle, and turn work.

Instructions

CO 2 sts.

Set-up

Row 1 (RS): Kfb, k1. (3 sts)
Row 2 (WS): Knit.
Row 3: K1, kfb, k1. (4 sts)
Row 4: K to last st, sl1 wyif.
Row 5: K2, m1, k2. (5 sts)
Row 6: P1, k3, sl1 wyif.
Row 7: K4, m1, k1. (6 sts)
Row 8: P2, k3, sl1 wyif.
Row 9: K4, PM, k1, m1, k1. (7 sts)
Row 10: P3, SM, k3, sl1 wyif.
Row 11: K4, SM, k1, m1, k to end. (8 sts)
Row 12: P to marker, SM, k3, sl1 wyif.

Rows 13-22: Rep row 11-12 five more times (13 sts).

Body – increase section

Both the written out and charted instructions for the leafy border can be found at the bottom of this page. Please note, stitch counts given here are only applicable to the body stitches.

Row 1 (RS): K4, SM, k1, m1, PM, work row 1 of Leafy border. (6 sts – 1 st increased in body)
Row 2 (WS): Work row 2 of Leafy border, SM, p to marker, SM, k3, sl1 wyif.
Row 3: K4, SM, k to 1 st before marker, M1, K1, SM, work row 3 of Leafy border. (7 sts – 1 st increased in body)
Row 4: Work row 4 of Leafy border, SM, p to marker, SM, k3, sl1 wyif.
Row 5: K4, SM, k to 1 st before marker, M1, K1, SM, work row 5 of Leafy border. (8 sts – 1 st increased in body)
Row 6: Work row 6 of Leafy border, SM, p to marker, SM, k3, sl1 wyif.

Continue in this manner until all 18 rows of the border pattern have been worked. (14 sts in body)

Next: Repeat last 18 rows until 8 leaves or almost half of the yarn has been used. (77 sts in body)

Next: Rep rows 1-16 once again. (85 sts in body)

Tip: Weigh your project in between pattern repeats to get an idea the amount of yarn needed for each repeat. This way, a better estimate can be made whether another repeat is possible with your available amount of yarn. 

Easing the border around the center point

Row 17: K4, SM, k to 1 st before marker, m1, K1, SM, work row 17 of Leafy border. (78 sts – 1 st increased in body)
Row 18: Work row 18 of Leafy border, RM, w&t.
Row 19: PM, work row 1 of Leafy border.
Row 20: Work row 2 of Leafy border, SM, pick up and purl wrap together with corresponding st, p to marker, SM, k3, sl1 wyif.

Body – decrease section

Row 1 (RS): K4, SM, k to 2 sts before marker, k2tog, SM, work row 3 of Leafy border. (77 sts – 1 st decreased in body)
Row 2 (WS): Work row 4 of Leafy border, SM, p to marker, SM, k3, sl1 wyif.
Row 3: K4, SM, k to 2 sts before marker, k2tog, SM, work row 5 of Leafy border. (76 sts – 1 st decreased in body)
Row 4: Work row 6 of Leafy border, SM, p to marker, SM, k3, sl1 wyif.

Continue in this manner until the same number of leaves as on the increase section have been completed (14 sts).

Next row (RS): K4, SM, k1, k2tog, k to end, removing marker. (13 sts – 1 st decreased in body)
Next row (WS): P to marker, SM, k3, sl1 wyif.
Rep these last 2 rows 9 more times, removing marker after final rep (4 sts).

Next row: K1, k2tog, k1. (3 sts)
Next row: K2, sl1 wyif.
Next row: K1, k2tog. (2 sts)
Next row: K1, sl1 wyif.
Next row: K2tog and fasten off.

Finishing

Finally, weave in ends and block your Autumn Leaves Shawl to shape.

Leafy border lace

Leafy border

Stitch counts given here are only applicable to the edging stitches.
Row 1 (RS): K5, yo, k1, yo, k2. (10 sts)
Row 2 (WS): P6, kfb, yo, k2tog, k1. (11 sts)
Row 3: K4, p1, k2, yo, k1, yo, k3. (13 sts)
Row 4: P8, kfb, k1, yo, k2tog, k1. (14 sts)
Row 5: K4, p2, k3, yo, k1, yo, k4. (16 sts)
Row 6: P10, kfb, k2, yo, k2tog, k1. (17 sts)
Row 7: K4, p3, k4, yo, k1, yo, k5. (19 sts)
Row 8: P12, kfb, k3, yo, k2tog, k1. (20 sts)
Row 9: K4, p4, skp, k7, k2tog, k1. (18 sts)
Row 10: P10, kfb, k4, yo, k2tog, k1. (19 sts)
Row 11: K4, p5, skp, k5, k2tog, k1. (17 sts)
Row 12: P8, kfb, k2, p1, k2, yo, k2tog, k1. (18 sts)
Row 13: K4, p1, k1, p4, skp, k3, k2tog, k1. (16 sts)
Row 14: P6, kfb, k3, p1, k2, yo, k2tog, k1. (17 sts)
Row 15: K4, p1, k1, p5, skp, k1, k2tog, k1. (15 sts)
Row 16: P4, kfb, k4, p1, k2, yo, k2tog, k1. (16 sts)
Row 17: K4, p1, k1, p6, sl2-k1-p2sso, k1. (14 sts)
Row 18: P2tog, BO 5 sts by knitting the next st and passing the one already on the right-hand needle over the newly worked stitch 5 times, p3, k1, yo, k2tog, k1. (8 sts)