Modified K3 - P3 Prayer Shawl Instructions @ Copyright 2010
Submitted By: Barb Kurtak
www.shawlministry.com
Use a straight rather than boucle type yarn so that the texture of
the stitches will be worth the extra effort. The pattern forms the
texture.
Cast on stitches in a multiple of 3 to the desired width depending on your yarn and the size needles you use. Use a marker or piece of yarn to designate the “front” side from the “back” (return) side. Odd rows will be front and even rows will be back. Basically, you’re knitting the classic K3P3 prayer shawl stitch, except you’re offsetting the stitches by 1 stitch in pattern each row. This means you begin each odd-numbered (front) rows by adding a stitch in pattern and begin the even-numbered (back, return) rows by decreasing a stitch in pattern. In the directions, I end with a K3, but in fact, once you understand the pattern, you could end with either. Row 1: *K3 P3*K3 Row 2: K2*P3K3*P1 Row 3: P2*K3P3*K1 Row 4: *P3K3*P3 Row 5: K1*P3K3*P2 Row 6: P1*K3P3*K2 Repeat 1-6. A chart that helps you orient when picking up the work after setting it down or dealing with an odd number of stitches:
From the front your threads will look as follows (“-” is a thread to the front, v is a thread to the back):
After you’ve knit in the pattern for awhile, you’ll begin to see repeating patterns as you knit and vertically in the alignment of stitches. For instance, you’ll be doing the usual seed type prayer shawl stitch except on the front (odd-numbered) rows, the third stitch of the K3 or P3 stitches will be in stockinette or garter (highlighted in green). On the back (return, even-numbered) rows, the first stitch of the K3 or P3 stitches will be in stockinette or garter (highlighted in yellow). (Note: The rows are pictured as they hang from your needle, i.e. the most recent row knitted is on top.) |
The following excerpts are from Barb's email:
Dear Janet & Vicky,
I completely share your devotion to making this ministry free of commercial
interests and
available to all. I would like to provide a pattern I just developed which is a
modification of
the basic K3P3 pattern that others might like. I would like to share it
but wouldn't want someone else
to then use it for profit commercially. The shawl in the photo was
knitted on size 15 needles.
I'm excited about the pattern because it gives a very pleasing texture to
otherwise straight
yarn and maintains the shawl ministry k3p3 idea.
Barb