Vintage Christmas

Vintage Christmas is worked from side to side, and the body and the edging grow at the same time. You are not adding a border at the end, which means when you fasten off, you have very little to weave in. The whole shawl comes off the hook nearly finished, edging and all, which is a rare thing on a piece this size.

Partway across, the color changes at the center, so the finished shawl reads as two halves meeting in the middle. That single change is what gives it its character, a shawl of two parts that belong together. Then, once the body is done, a touch of surface crochet is worked over the top, a line of stitches added to the surface that traces a final detail across the fabric and pulls the whole thing together.

It settles into a generous, wearable size. Blocked, the shawl is 60 inches long and 22 inches wide at the longest point, enough to wrap around the shoulders or drape long down the front. It has all the warmth of an old-fashioned holiday to it, the kind of piece that feels like it belongs by a fire, and it wears well long after the season has passed.

Yarn: 

950 yards of fingering weight yarn, in two main colors plus a small amount of a third for the surface crochet.

The sample uses Chaos Fiber Co. Tonal Elite 100 sock/fingering weight yarn (75% superwash merino, 25% nylon, 3.5 oz / 100g = 420 yards / 384m) in (A) Avocado and (B) Candied Apples, plus Chaos Fiber Co. Tonal Minis (100% superwash merino, 0.7 oz / 20g = 85 yards / 78m) in (C) Golden for the surface crochet.

Hook: 

US size E/4 (3.5 mm), or the size needed for gauge. Make sure you take the time to check it before you start.

Notions: 

Tapestry needle.

Gauge: 

18 dc and 11 dc rows = 4 inches / 10 cm. Check your gauge before you begin. Because you work side to side, your gauge sets the depth of the shawl and how far your yarn will take you.

Finished Size: 

Blocked, the shawl is 60 inches / 152 cm long and 22 inches / 56 cm wide at the longest point. Blocking opens the edging and sets the shape, so plan for it.