Princess Baby Lacy Shawl

This baby shawl pattern is a vintage pattern and may use vintage terms. It was originally published by Fleisher Yarn Co in Fleischer Fashions, Volume 75, in 1946 in a set called the Little Princess Baby Set, which included a bonnet, cardigan and booties.

What you need

The original project called for size 4 knitting needles and Baby Zephyr 4-fold wool. It had a gauge of 6 stitches and 9 rows per inch/2.5 cm, which makes it perfect for a fine/sport weight yarn (CYC classification 2). Ravelry has it classified as a light fingering, so you could go either way. It also says it had 170 yards per ball, and the original pattern called for 7 balls, so you will need around 1,190 yards of your chosen yarn to get the original size of the project, which was 25 by 29 inches/63.5 by 73.5 cm.

Instructions

The stitch pattern used in the project requires a multiple of 8 plus 7, so you can cast on more stitches as you like if you want to make a bigger blanket.

Diamond Stitch Pattern

First row (right side)—K 7, * p 1, k 7; repeat from * to end.

2nd row—P 7, * k 1, p 7; repeat from * to end.

3rd row—P 1, k 5, p 1, * k 1, p 1, k 5, p 1; repeat from * to end.

4th row—K 1, p 5, k 1, * p 1, k 1, p 5, k 1; repeat from to end.

5th row—K 1, * p 1, k 3; repeat from *, end p 1, k 1.

6th row—P 1, * k 1, p 3; repeat from *, end k 1, p 1.

7th row—K 2, * p 1, k 1, p 1, k 5; repeat from *, end p 1, k 1, p 1, k 2.

8th row—P 2, * k 1, p 1, k 1, p 5; repeat from *, end k 1, p 1, k 1, p 2.

9th row—K 3, * p 1, k 7; repeat from *, end p 1, k 3.

10th row—P 3, * k 1, p 7; repeat from *, end k 1, p 3.

11th row—Same as 7th row.

12th row—Same as 8th row.

13th row—Same as 5th row.

14th row—Same as 6th row.

15th row—Same as 3rd row.

16th row—Same as 4th row. Repeat these 16 rows for pattern.

Knitting the Shawl

Cast on 149 sts.

Work the border in Seed Stitch — k1, *p1, k1. Repeat from * to end — for 20 rows.

Work first 11 sts in Seed Stitch, place a marker, p127, place marker, work last 11 sts in Seed Stitch. Those 11 sts on each side remain in Seed Stitch as a border.

Begin the diamond pattern with row 1. Work for 30 rows.

Work 11 border stitches, turn and work 11 stitches again. Turn and work across (row 15 of pattern) and work border stitches.

Turn and work border stitches, turn and work border stitches again as on other side, then continue across (row 16 of pattern).

Continue with pattern as established, working short rows as described on every 31st and 32nd row of pattern. Work 14 full pattern repeats, ending with row 16.

Work rows 1 and 2 only again.

Next row, work border stitches, k127, work border stitches.

Knit all sts in Seed Stitch for 19 rows.

Bind off in Seed Stitch. Weave in ends and block.

The original pattern shows a five-petaled flower embroidered over a set of four of the diamonds.