Best Friends Shawl

A person is a best friend because we resemble each other and make each other complete. Here is the
perfect model to express such a beautiful sentiment.

Materials:
Two 100-g 400 meters skeins of fingering/sock yarn in contrasting colors. (Will make two shawls.)
Here shown in (Vi)laines Malouines et Soie Marrons et Macarons and Rubis a chaque doigt. Will work perfectly with Malabrigo Sock !

US 6 (4mm) circular needles

Gauge: 25 sts = 4 in.
Finished Size: About 1.45 m. long by 38 cm deep after blocking. (About 57" by 15)
The Best Friends Shawl is knit in 2 stages. You work the lace border first, which forms a long band of lacy
points over a dozen stitches each. Then, you pick up the stitches along the top edge of border and knit along
that border with some lovely stripes, finishing with the short-row section for the body of the shawl. When
finished, you can knit a second shawl in reverse colors to present to your Best Friend. (All rows are knit for
an airy garter-stitch effect.) This can be easily enlarged by knitting more central motifs in the border and
increasing the number of short rows until you have an equal number of sts on each side of the central
stitches and all stiches are incorporated. You finish with a touch of the contrast color at the bind-off edge.

Glossary of stitches used:

sl st = slip 1 st purlwise. With yarn in front, slide st to right needle purlwise, then take yarn between
needles to back of work. (edge stitches.)
K = knit
K2 tog = knit 2 sts together
k3 tog = knit 3 together; To simplify: k2 tog, return st to lft ndl and pass next st over.
SSK = sl 1 k-wise, sl 1 k-wise, return to left ndl & k2 tog through back loop.
OR: Slip 1 knitwise, k1, psso. (the old sl1, k1, psso)
YO = Yarn Over
Lace Border
Start of Border (worked once)
With your border color, Cast On 3.
Row 1: Sl 1, k1, YO, k1 = 4 sts
Row 2 and all WS rows: Knit.
Row 3: Sl 1, k1, YO, k1, YO, k1 = 6 sts.
Row 5: Sl 1, k2, YO, k2 tog, YO, k1. = 7 sts
Row 7: Sl 1, k3, YO, k2 tog, YO, k1. = 8 sts
Row 9: Sl 1, K4, YO, k2 tog, YO, k1. = 9 sts
Row 11: Sl 1, k 5, YO, k2 tog, YO, k1.= 10 sts
Central Motif (repeat section)
Row 1: Sl 1, k3, (k2 tog, YO) X 2, k1, YO, k1. 11 sts
Row 2 and all WS rows, through row 12, knit.
Row 3: Sl 1, k2, (k2 tog, YO ) X 2, k3, YO, k1.
12 sts
Row 5: Sl 1, k1, (K2 tog, YO) X 2, k 5, YO, k1. 13 sts.
Row 7: Sl 1, k3, (YO, k2 tog) X 2, k1, k2 tog, YO, k2 tog. 12 sts
Row 9: Sl 1, k4, YO, k2 tog, YO, k3 tog, YO, k2 tog. 11 sts.
Row 11:Sl 1, k5, YO, k3 tog, YO, k2 tog. 10 sts
This central motif over 12 rows is worked a total of 45 times.
End of Border (worked once)
Row 1: Sl 1, k3, (k2 tog, YO) X 2, k2 tog. 9 sts.
Row 2 and all even rows through row 10: Knit.
Row 3: Sl 1, k2, (K2 tog, YO) X 2, k2 tog. 8 sts,
Row 5: Sl 1, k 1, (K2 tog, YO) X 2, k2 tog. 7 sts,
Row 7: Sl 1, (K2 tog, YO) X 2, k2 tog.
6 sts,
Row 9: Sl 1, k3 tog, YO, k2 tog. 4 sts.
Row 11: Sl 1, k3 tog, 2 sts.
Row 12: k2 tog.
One st remains on ndl.
Body of Shawl

Adjoining stripes.
Color 1 is contrast color to the border and is Main color of body of shawl.
Color 2 is the same color as border.
Stripe 1/Color 1
Row 1: Keeping the last stitch of the border on the right ndl, turn border so that the slipped stitches are on
top. Pick up and knit 281 stitches, reaching into/under each slipped st.
282 sts.
Row 2: Knit
Stripe 2/Color 2 color of border
Rows 3 and 4: Knit.
Color 1
Rows 5 and 6: Knit.
Row 7: Knit 1, *YO, k2 tog. Repeat from star to end of row, ending with YO, k1. 283 sts.
Row 8: Knit.
Color 2
Rows 9 and 10: Knit
Color 1
Rows 11 and 12: Knit
Row 13: K1, *YO, k2 tog. Repeat to the end of row.
Row 14: Knit
Stop Color 1.
Color 2
Rows 15 and 16: Knit.
Short Row Section: (In Color 1, in contrast to the border.)
This is where the shawl takes shape, creating short rows in the center section leading out to the
extremities on either end.
Row 1: Knit 143 sts. Turn. The rest of the unworked stitches remain on the needle.
Row 2: Knit 3. Turn. There are 140 sts on each side of these 3 sts.
Row 3: K2, SSK, k2. Turn.
Row 4: K4, k2 tog, k2. Turn.
Row 5: Knit up to the turning st of the preceding row, k2 tog, k2. Turn.
Row 6: Knit to 1 st before the turn of the preceding row. SSK, k2. Turn.
Repeat rows 5 & 6 until all border stitches have been reincorporated.
Binding off and Finishing:
With Color 1, knit 1 row. (The color of the border)
On the following row, on the reverse side of the work, bind off very loosely.
Knit 2, (Sl these 2 from rt needle to left ndl & k2 tog, k1) Repeat to end of row.
Stop Color 1.
Your Best Friends Shawl is finished. Block well and quickly knit a second shawl in the reverse colors for
your Best Friend.

CHARTS FOR BEST FRIEND SHAWL

NOTE: Shaded areas indicate no stitch. Refer to line by line directions for clarification.
Chart I Start of Border
Worked once to start border.
O

\/
\/
\/
O

10

Chart II Central Motif of Border

Worked 45 times for border.

\/
O
O
3

\/
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1

12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

/
9

/|\

/
\/

/|\

\/

\/

O
8

/
7

O
6

/
5

\/
\/

/|\

/|\

/
7

O
6

/
5

O
O

12

11

O
10

O
8

\/
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/

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1

12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

\/
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CHART LEGEND

/
/

Chart III

13

Chart III - End of Border

once to end border.

\/
1

12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

Worked

Blank square = knit (on both RS & WS)

/ = Knit 2 together
O = Yarn Over
/|\ = Knit 3 tog
\/ = slip 1 purlwise