Protea Shawl
Protea Shawl is a crescent-shape shawl using a pair of complementary yarns – one variegated and one solid/semi solid in contrasting color. It is named after the exotic flower, Protea, for its associations to change and transformation across cultures, thus symbolizes diversity and courage.
Protea is the third (after Affinity and Nephthys) original design of Hayley’s that utilizes her love for juxtaposition by combining solid fabric with lace. It may also be knitted in heavy-lace-weight yarn for a more open fabric, or as well in sport/dk-weight yarn for a warm and cozy result. Protea may be knitted with or without beads. The number of beads used for all sections totaled 600.
Protea is available for purchase on the fiber site, Ravelry. You don't have to be a member. Link to Hayley's Ravelry pattern page.
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Purchase the pattern here on Ravelry (you do not need to be a member):
US$6.50
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Skill Level
Intermediate. Row-by-row written instruction for part of the pattern and charts only for the lace sections.
Gauge
Gauge isn’t important but will determine the final size of the shawl.
Size
One size but options to add more rows on certain sections are noted for a slightly larger result.
Yarns
One skein each of two fingering-weight yarns with one being variegated and the other in a contrasting solid/semi-solid color using US4 / 3.5mm or US5 / 3.75mm. If you are a loose knitter, smaller needles – US4 / 3.5mm (US2.5 / 3.0mm for the Brioche Section) – are recommended to keep Color A to just one skein. Options are also given for a slightly smaller shawl for the loose knitters to keep Color A to one skein. Color B uses approximately 300y / 275m.
Finished dimensions may be adjusted by knitting additional rows as noted or using a heavier-weight yarn and/or larger needles. You will need an extra skein of Color A if you elect to knit all the extra rows.
Tips on assigning Color A and Color B
Knitting a Brioche swatch may help you decide which side of the Brioche you prefer and setting that color as Color B. There are two fairly small solid-color areas in Color A – and none in Color B – so that may also be a determining factor. If your variegated doesn’t knit up to your liking in stockinette stitch (e.g., too stripe-y), then use it as Color B so the solid-color areas of your Protea will be in the solid/semi solid.
Tools
Circular needles in size US2.5 / 3.0mm or US3 / 3.25mm for the Brioche Section and US4 / 3.5mm or US5 / 3.75mm for the rest (depending on yarn weight and your knitting tension), cable needle, crochet hook, stitch markers, blunt tapestry needle, T-pins, and blocking wire(s) and mat (optional).
Beads
Size 6 rounds or size 5 triangles for fingering weight. Bead all or just some of these sections.
Section B 30 beads
Section C 52 beads
Section D 5 beads
Section F 80 beads
Section G 129 beads
Section H 304 beads
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Total 600 beads