Screen Porch Shawl
It’s spring! Time to swap snowy walks for crisp evenings on the porch. Time to cast on for our simply beautiful Screen Porch Shawl.
You cast on this easy triangular shawl along one side and knit your way to the opposite tip, decreasing one stitch each right-side row. The beginner-friendly lace pattern is a 4-line repeat with alternating yarn-overs and decreases… Easy to memorize, so it hits the sweet spot between ease and interest.
When you’re done, the lace nestles into the bottom point of the triangle… A placement that takes center stage when you wear your beautiful shawl!
Our fingering-weight Quartz knits up into a nice, light spring layer, but its 65% merino wool and 35% suri alpaca have the warmth you need if your screen porch is a bit breezy.
And this lovely single-color knit is a fitting canvas for Quartz’s gorgeous depth of color. Its lustrous glow from the glossy suri alpaca means each hue is rich and radiant. In Autumn Oak like ours, or in another beauty from Quartz’s palette, your Screen Porch Shawl will be a stunner in any color and on any porch swing!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Hiromi Glover. Click here to see even more of Hiromi’s work!
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoScreenPorchShawl, and #PurlSohoQuartz. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 2 (4) skeins of Purl Soho’s Quartz, 65% merino wool and 35% suri alpaca. Each skein is 420 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 625 (1595) total yards required. We used the color Autumn Oak.
- US 3 (3.25 mm), 32- or 47-inch circular needles, depending on size you are making
- A stitch marker
GAUGE
26 stitches and 52 rows = 4 inches in garter stitch
SIZES
Bandana (Shawl)
- Finished Length of Wingspan: 42½ (68) inches
- Finished Length of Each Short Side: 30 (48) inches
- Finished Depth: 21 (34) inches
Sample: We knit the Shawl size.
NOTES
CONSTRUCTION
You will work this piece by casting on along one short side and working toward the opposite tip, decreasing 1 stitch at every right-side edge as you go.
SLIP STITCHES
Slip all slipped stitches knitwise with yarn in back.
PATTERN
Cast on 196 (312) stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
TIP: When you’re casting on so many stitches, it really helps to place a marker or piece of scrap yarn every 50 stitches. That way, when you lose count (which you will!), you won’t have to recount all the stitches. Just remember to remove these markers when you place your marker for the Set-Up Row.
Set-Up Row (wrong side): Slip 1 (see Notes), k95 (153), place marker (pm), knit to end of row.
Row 1 (right side): Slip 1, knit to last 3 stitches, slipping marker as you come to it, knit 2 together (k2tog), k1. [1 stitch decreased]
Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1, knit to end of row, slipping marker as you come to it.
Row 3: Repeat Row 1. [1 stitch decreased]
Row 4: Slip 1, knit to marker, remove marker, k2, pm, *yarn over (yo), purl 2 together (p2tog), repeat from * to last 2 stitches, k2.
Repeat Rows 1–4 forty-seven (76) more times (at the end of the final Row 4 you should have 4 stitches remaining to the left of the marker). [100 (158) stitches remain]
Decrease Row (right side): Slip 1, knit to last 3 stitches, removing marker when you come to it, k2tog, k1. [1 stitch decreased]
Continuing in garter stitch and maintaining slip stitch selvage, repeat Decrease Row every right-side row until 3 stitches remain, ending with a wrong-side row.
Next Row (right side): Slip 1, k2tog, pass slipped stitch over, cut yarn and pull through remaining stitch.
FINISHING
Weave in the ends and gently wet block.
Can use Linen Quill yarn for this pattern?
Also, when decreasing at the end of the pattern what is the instructions for the wrong side row?
Thank you
Hi Julie,
Thank you for writing in! You can absolutely use Linen Quill for this pattern! You will need 2 skeins for the bandana and 4 skeins for the full-size shawl. For the the decrease at the end, you will continue working the wrong side as you have for row 2. Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1, knit to end of row, slipping marker as you come to it. I hope this helps but please let me know if you have any other questions and I would be happy to take a look!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
I would like to purchase this yarn and make this shawl but I am not sure how much yarn to purchase. The instructions said 2 (4) skeins… I ususally wear a medium/ large…would I purchase 2?
Hi Leigh,
That’s a great question! If you would like to make the bandana size, you will need 2 skeins of Quartz. If you would like to make the full-size shawl, you will need 4 skeins. I hope this helps!
Happy making,
Gavriella
Can this be knit in Linen Quill? If so, what modifications would be needed?
Hi Teresa,
Thank you for reaching out! You can definitely make this pattern with Linen Quill without the need for any modifications.
Warmly,
Gavriella
Thank you for the lovely pattern!
Hello! Just to double check, because I have such a hard time with yarn overs – in order to yo, purl, I have to wrap the yarn twice, correct? Once for the ‘yo’ and then again for the ‘purl’ stitch. I don’t want to lay the foundation work just to find I did row 4 wrong, especially on the shawl.
Hi Vicki,
That’s a great question! You’re actually wrapping the working yarn once, and here’s a breakdown of how to maneuver the yarn for the YO and p2tog:
To do the YO, you would move your working yarn from the back (where it’s already positioned, since you’ve been working knit stitches) to the front by passing it in between your two needles. Then, bring the working yarn over the top of the right needle so that it’s positioned at the back of your work again. You’ve completed the YO! Then, since your next step is a P2Tog, you would move the working yarn from the back of the work to the front again by passing it in between your two needles. Once you’ve done that, you are ready to do the p2tog!
I hope this helps!
All the best,
Cat
Thank you! Can’t wait to get started 🙂
Hi:
Would I need 2 or 4 skeins for this pattern for a size large? (I’m still learning how to read patterns.)
Thank you so much!
Hi Judy,
Thank you for asking! To make the larger shawl size, you would need 4 skeins of Quartz. We’ve noted the two project sizes as “Bandana (Shawl),” so if you see this convention in other places in the pattern, it means that what’s listed outside of the parentheses refers to the bandana and what’s inside the parentheses refers to the shawl! I hope this helps, and can’t wait for you to cast on this project!
All the best,
Cat
I want to make this shawl and buy the yarn from you. Is there a way to print up just the pattern. In the past when I have printed up your patterns, I get 20 pages on the print out with pictures of the yarn, the Q and A from your emails, etc.
Hi Nancy,
Thank you for reaching out! Here’s how we recommend printing this free pattern!
If you’re on your computer, you’ll 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 the “print” icon below the pattern and above the comments.
Click on this button, and a window will pop up where you can delete whichever parts of the pattern you don’t want to print (when you hover over an image or a text block, it will be highlighted in yellow and a “trash” icon will appear). Then, just click on the printer icon in the upper left-hand corner of the pop-up window to print the pattern!
I hope this helps, and please feel free to let us know if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Cat
I’m confused. On row 4, why do you knit to marker, remove marker, K2, then replace the marker? Why not just knit to the marker? Is something missing there? Am I missing something?
Hi Charlotte,
Thank you for writing in! For this set of instructions, you will be shifting the eyelets as you decrease so it is important to move the marker each time to make sure that the eyelets align evenly. I hope this helps but please let me know if you have any more questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
I am considering making the Screen Porch Shawl completely in the yarn over/P2tog pattern (with no garter stitch section). Would the yarn requirements be the same?
Thank you!
Hi Judy,
That sounds like a great idea! You can definitely modify this pattern to be made without the garter stitch section by adjusting your cast on stitches to be an odd number instead! I would recommend starting with the required yardage and winding your skeins as you need them. That way you can return any unwound skeins if you end up not using/needing them. I hope this helps!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Can this already generous-sized shawl be made even larger? Also, is the recommended yarn the best choice for a summer shawl? (The intended wearer only wears shawls on cool summer evenings in out northern clime.) Finally, I see Linen Quill is already green-lighted as a substitute yarn. Would it make for a heavy shawl, which I want to avoid doing? Too many questions, I know, but I want to get it right!
Hi Susan,
Thank you for writing in! Quartz is a quite soft yarn and is just as light in knitted form. Sweet Grass, Cattail Silk, or Santolina would be great options for a summer shawl! All of these yarns are both wonderfully soft and lightweight making them ideal for warmer days ahead. I hope this helps but please let me know if you have any other questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Hello!
Can you use cotton pure for this pattern?
Thank-you very much!
Sincerely, Annie
Hi Annie,
Thank you for writing in! Cotton Pure is just a tad too thick for this pattern but if you are looking to knit it up in a cotton yarn, I’d highly recommend Santolina which is 70% organically grown cotton, 20% rayon from bamboo, 10% hemp making it great for warmer climates!
Warmly,
Gavriella
Thank-you so very much!
In the pattern it says “Repeat Rows 1–4 forty-seven (76) more times”. Is that 47 or 76??
Kind regards Marianne, Denmark
Hi Marianne,
Thank you for writing in! This pattern is written in two sizes and each step includes instructions for each size. The first number is the instruction for the bandana size and the number in (parenthesis) is for the full-size shawl. If you’d like to learn more about this process, you can check out our quick Reading a Knitting Pattern tutorial here which goes more in-depth on this topic. I hope this helps but please let me know if you have any other questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
What does the Bandana version look like?
Hi Gretchen,
Thank you for writing in! The bandana version will have the same look as the shawl but is made on a smaller scale. It is kind of like a ‘mini’ version of the full-size shawl and was designed to tie comfortably around your neck. The dimensions for the bandana size are:
Finished Length of Wingspan: 42½ inches
Finished Length of Each Short Side: 30 inches
Finished Depth: 21 inches
I hope this helps!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Thanks!
Thank you!
Could this be knit in Echo Cashmere?
Hi Gretchen,
You can absolutely use Echo Cashmere for this pattern! I think that would be a lovely choice!
Great!
I am starting this shawl, but am confused by the pattern. The photos show garter stitch for the top longer edges of the shawl and the lace part is pictured on the bottom third towards the tip. I don’t see this in the pattern, as the yarn overs begin in row four already. Can you straighten me out?
Thank you for the beautiful pattern and quartz yarn suggestion.
Hi Laura,
Thank you for writing in! For this pattern, you will work by casting on along one short side and working toward the opposite tip, decreasing 1 stitch at every right-side edge as you go. This will allow you to get the triangular shape with both garter stitch and the lace section as you move your marker over further and further each row. I hope this helps but please let us know if you have any other questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
How could I knit this in a size larger than bandana but smaller then shawl? How many stitches to cast on and how many repeats? I am making this as a prayer shawl and the bandana seems too small but the shawl is too large.
Hi Sharlene,
Thank you for writing in! Although we think that sounds like a lovely idea, we would not recommend altering the pattern due to the construction of the decreases. One thing you could do is knit the bandana size in a larger gauge than the one in the pattern using thicker yarn. This could result in an in between size of both the bandana and the full-size shawl! I hope this helps but please let me know if you have any other questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
I did think of using larger needles and thicker yarn but I wanted to keep it light-weight. Thank you for your prompt response to my question. I love your patterns and web site!
I’m currently knitting this pattern with the suggested Quartz yarn. I understand the pattern, but I’m having a hard time doing the purl two together. I can get the first stitch onto the needle easily, but it is very difficult to get the second stitch onto the needle. Any suggestions? Thank you.
Hi Kelly,
Thank you for writing in! For the purl two together stitches, I always find it helpful to really relax my hands on these stitches. Sometimes we tend to grip the working yarn a little too harshly making these stitches more difficult. You could also try completely letting go of your working yarn as you insert your needle into the stitches allowing your hands to control the needles entirely. If that doesn’t work, you could also try working these with a needle size smaller just to insert into the stitches and then continuing with the correct size needle. I hope these tips help make the process a little easier but please let me know if you have any questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Thank you for your quick response with suggestions.