Bamboo Wedding Shawl
My wedding was over ten years ago, and at the time it felt like a big, swirling blur. But now I can remember every single detail like it was yesterday, from my red sequined shoes to the strawberry cobbler.
With the gift of time, I’m going to offer some totally unsolicited advice. It is this: the absolute, very best way to make your day memorable is to infuse it with details that come from your heart, such as… a beautiful hand knit shawl!
I truly believe that hand knit objects have power. As you or someone you love knits this Wedding Shawl, it will become steeped in the hopes and dreams of your big day. And as your wedding night cools down and you wrap your shawl around your shoulders, you will not only look drop dead gorgeous, but you will be reminded of those hopes and dreams, and you will take an important minute to thank your lucky stars!
This Wedding Shawl gets its extraordinary drape and beautiful shine from Habu’s Bamboo 20/12. In pristine white, Habu’s Bamboo is a perfectly cool choice for spring nights. Knit up in a simple, geometric pattern called Flemish Block Lace, the result is an understated elegance that never goes out of style.
UPDATE: NOW IN BURNISH
April, 2020
What better way to celebrate new beginnings than by taking a classic pattern and revisiting it in Burnish, our 100% rayon from bamboo yarn. With an updated gauge and selvage edge detail, our Wedding Shawl has it all – something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Whitney Van Nes.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, and #PurlSohoBambooWeddingShawl. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 2 skeins of Habu’s Bamboo 20/12 or 2 skeins of Habu’s Dyed Bamboo. Approximately 1,440 yards required.
- A US 3 (3.25 mm), 24-inch circular needle (You could use a set of long straight needles instead, but with the size and weight of the shawl I highly recommend circular needles!)
Gauge
28 stitches = 4 inches in lace pattern
Size
22 inches wide and 60½ inches long, unblocked
NOTE: There is enough yarn left over to make the shawl about 9 inches longer if you’d like!
Pattern
Begin
Cast on 153 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Preparations Rows: Knit 7 rows.
Row 1 and all other odd numbered rows: K5, purl to the last 5 stitches, k5.
Row 2: K7, *k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, k4, repeat from * to last 6 stitches, k6.
Row 4: K6, *k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k4, repeat from * to last 7 stitches, k7.
Row 6: K5, k2tog, yo, *k5, yo, slip1, k2tog, pass slipped stitch over, yo, k4, k2tog, yo, repeat from * to last 6 stitches, k6.
Row 8: K7, *yo, ssk, k4, yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, k1, repeat from * to last 6 stitches, k6.
Row 10: K8, *yo, ssk, k4, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, repeat from * to last 5 stitches, k5.
Row 12: K9, *yo, ssk, k4, yo, k3tog, yo, k5, repeat from * to last 5 stitches (end the last repeat with a k4), k5.
Repeat Row 1-12 until the shawl measures 60 inches from the cast on edge.
Next Row: K5, purl to last 5 stitches, k5.
Knit 6 rows.
Bind off loosely in knit stitch and weave in the ends. For a very polished finish, gently block your shawl.
I just bought some Purl Soho field linen – would that work with this pattern?
Hello Susan,
Thank you for reaching out! Field Linen will work beautifully for this pattern.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
What other yarns do you recommend for this project?
Hi Darcy,
Great question! Our bamboo rayon Burnish would be an excellent yarn to use for this shawl! You would need five skeins of Burnish to knit the same size shawl. You could use almost any fingering weight yarn, so Field Linen and Cattail Silk would also be great options!
Best,
Julianna
Hi! You answered one of my questions. The yarn substitute you mentioned would need 5 skeins.
My only other question: Is this because those skeins contain less yardage? Or will I need to use a different needle size from that is stated on Ravelry for this pattern?
Hi Cindy,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes you have it right! You need more skeins of Burnish because there is less yardage per skein than the Habu Bamboo we used originally! The gauge should work up to be the same on the recommended needle size!
All the best,
Gianna
Nice to have this pattern charted, much easier than reading.
Hi Deb,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately we do not have a chart for this pattern, but I will pass your request along to the design team!
Best,
Julianna
I’m happy that you have text-based patterns, as I seem to be chart-blind!
Re the above pattern, what is the stitch count for pattern repeat. I’m looking forward to knitting it, but 153 sts is too wide for what I want. Thanks
Hi Janet,
Thank you for reaching out! I love your idea to knit this shawl in a slightly narrower width. The pattern is knit over a multiple of 14 stitches + 13, so as long as your gauge is 7 stitches per inch in the lace pattern you should have no trouble customizing your cast-on to your desired size.
Happy knitting!
Gaby
I do not have size 3 needles..will it be ok if I use #4 needles?
Hi Elaine,
As with any project, everyone’s gauge is different – I’d suggest making a small swatch with your size 4 needles and see if you like the look of the fabric. Open patterns like the Bamboo Wedding Shawl can be very forgiving as far as needle size, and as it’s not a fitted garment there’s quite a bit more wiggle room with gauge. Give it and try and see how it goes with what you’ve got at hand!
Happy Knitting!
Cassandra
I would like to use DK yarn with this pattern. What should I do to change it?
Hi Robin,
Thank you for writing in! To determine your cast on number for a DK weight yarn, you will want to knit a gauge swatch in pattern. Once you know how many stitches you are getting per inch, you can multiply that number by the width that you would like and cast on a multiple of 14 stitches + 13. I hope that helps!
Happy knitting!
Gaby
Hola soy de Chile y no entiendo muy bien la explicación del mantón de boda
Hi Bernarda,
Thanks for writing in! Unfortunately, our patterns are only available in English at present, though we certainly appreciate the request!
Best,
Julianna
Hice la traducción a español y no entiendo que significa k2tog, k3, k2, k7, k4 ,k6,k5, k1, así me pueden ayudar por favor es muy lindo el punto y lo quiero sacar
Hi Bernarda,
K is the abbreviation for “knit,” and the numbers refer to how many stitches to knit, so k3 means knit 3 stitches. Similarly, k2tog means knit two stitches together, which is a decrease.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
I’m working on the wedding shawl and have a question about row 11.
It reads “K6 *yo, ssk, k4, yo, k3tog, yo,
K5, repeat from* to last 2 stitches
(End the last repeat with k1), k2.
Don’t understand the instructions in the (). When ending the pattern I have the 2 stitches the pattern calls for. Please explain
Carole-Beth Goldberg
Hi Carole-Beth,
Thanks for reaching out! I’m happy to help explain this row, but I can’t seem to find these instructions in our pattern. We have two versions of our Wedding Shawl, and in this one above, all the odd numbered rows, including row 11, are plain purl rows. In our updated Wedding Shawl in Burnish, the beginning of Row 11 matches what you have written here, but it doesn’t end with the instructions in parentheses. Is it possible that you have somehow combined the two versions of the pattern?
Best,
Julianna
Hi. Love the pattern. I am a bit confused on line 12. My math isn’t adding up. If row starts w k9 then 140 (10 rep of 14) then how do I end the row with k5. Why wouldn’t it always be k4.
Thanks for your assistance.
Sincerely
Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
I hope I can clear this up for you! On the last repeat in Row 12, you will end with a k4 instead of a k5, and then knit the last 5 stitches. This should add up correctly, since you will start with 9 knits, then work 9 repeats of 14 stitches, followed by one repeat with 13 stitches, and then the last 5 stitches, for a total of 153!
Happy knitting!
Julianna
I would like to make this shawl wider, to be about 25-30 inches instead of the 22. How many more stitches would I need to cast on?
Thank you.
Hi Connie,
Thanks for reaching out! The stitch pattern works over a multiple os 14 stitches + 13, so as long as your gauge is 7 stitches = 1″ you can customize the width and cast on from there!
All the best,
Gianna
This is a beautiful pattern. I am looking for a pattern for shawl for a winter wedding (for the bride), would this work with a heavier yarn or do you have patterns that would work better for something a little more substantial?
The wedding with be in upstate NY so it could be cold.
Thanks!
Hi Pam,
Thanks for reaching out! You can substitute the yarn we used for any sport weight! I think one of our new yarns Brume would be a lovely substitution for this shawl and would add a lot of warmth and a beautiful halo effect! You could also use our Season Alpaca or Mulberry Merino! Even though all of these yarns are sport weights and should have a consistent gauge, I do recommend working a gauge swatch with whichever you choose to insure you are in line with the pattern!
Please let us know which you end up going with and how it turns out!
Happy knitting!
Gianna
Wow, it looks beautiful. Thanks for sharing the pattern. Will try making this soon.
I am a fairly new knitter and after reading over the instructions what stitch do you do on the odd numbered rows?
I have now found what to do on the odd numbered row. I totally missed the instruction. Thank you
What is the difference between this pattern and the burnish
wedding shawl. Is it just an update version? The pattern looks the same. Why would you choose one over the other. I also
as knitting this for a winter wedding so will use a sport weight yarn
Hi Amy,
Thanks for writing in! The patterns are virtually the same except the Wedding Shawl in Burnish is an updated version since the yarn used in this original pattern we no longer carry! Burnish can function both as a fingering weight and a sport weight, and in the updated pattern we used it more as a sport weight on a US 5 needle. I would recommend following the updated pattern, especially if you plan on using sport weight (I responded to your other post earlier regarding substitutions!)
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
How do I save this pattern as a pdf so I can save it to my KC (knitting companion) app?
Hi Beverly,
Thanks for reaching out! Here’s an easy way to create a PDF from any of our free patterns:
If you’re on a desktop version of the site, you will find a “print” icon in the right column just below the “Save To Favorites” button. If you’re on a mobile version of the site, you will find a “print” icon below the pattern and above the comments.
Follow the easy on-screen instructions to delete whichever parts of the pattern you don’t want to print or save. For example, you may decide to shorten the pattern by omitting certain images or the list of materials. To remove images, click the drop down next to the image icon and change from 100% to 0%.
I hope this helps, and happy knitting!
Warmly,
Kelsey
Can you please let me know what it means to
“gently block” when the shawl is complete?
Thank you this shawl is beautiful.
I have a blocking board.
Thank you
Maura
Hi Maura,
Thanks for reaching out! Gently blocking simply means to block your shawl but be sure not to overstretch! I would suggest checking out our wonderful Blocking tutorial for more tips!
Warmly,
Gianna
Its been a long time since Ive made this pattern. I am not able to find either of the suggested yarns, to see the yardage required, or even recommended? Can you please let me know? I have lots of fingering weight yarns, just want to make sure I have enough of the color I want to use.
Thank you kindly,
Peg Eichhorst
Hi Peg!
Thank you for bringing this to our attention! While we update our page, Burnish contained 339 yards per skein and we suggested using 5 skeins for a total of 1,695 yards (with some leftover). Habu’s 20/12 Bamboo contains 720 yards per skein, for a total of 1,440 yards when using 2 skeins as suggested in this pattern.
I hope this helps with your project planning, and thank you again for pointing this out to us!
All the best,
Margaret
Thank you Margaret, YES! It does!
Vorrei capire il giro 5 cosa sugnifica un sottoveste
Hi Graziella,
Thanks for reaching out! On Row 5 (and all other odd-numbered rows), all you will need to do is knit 5 stitches, purl to the last 5 stitches, and then knit those remaining 5 stitches.
Are you perhaps asking about the slipped stitch on Row 6 though? If so, then to do a slipped stitch, all you need to do is transfer that stitch from your left needle to your right needle, without knitting or purling it! Then, after you work the following k2tog, the pattern says “pass slipped stitch over.” That means that you will take the second stitch on your right needle (the one that you slipped previously) and bring it over the first stitch and then off the right needle entirely. This technique is similar to binding off!
I hope this helps clarify things!
All the best,
Lili
All the best,
Lili