Skill level: Advanced Beginner
The Chai Shawl is a soft, crescent-shaped striped shawl in fingering weight with a picot lace edging. This design was inspired by the yarns included in the 2024 Festival of Lights Hanukkah Yarn Box, but fingering weight yarns in a variety of styles and textures would work beautifully in in this simple layering piece.
This shawl has pointy edges and a rounded center back. The rounded center of the Chai Shawl is shaped with 18 increases. In Judaism, 18 is the numerical value of the word “Chai” (pronounced “high”), meaning life. This makes 18 a special number, representing good luck.
Construction Details:
The Chai Shawl is from the center top towards the outer edge. After working the set-up rows, the pattern is a 16 row repetition that grows with each center increase row. The pattern suggests a picot edging in a third color, but an option for continuing the stripes in the original two colors is also included.
The pattern includes a separate downloadable PDF of a row check sheet. There are video tutorials linked in the pattern that cover beginning the shawl and the picot edging.
Skills Required:
Slip Knot
Increasing with yarn overs
Knit/Purl
K2tog/SSK
Sizes: One size
Finished measurements: 56”/140 cm interior span at the top of the shawl, 84”/210 cm lower (rounded) edge, 18”/45 cm depth when laid flat.
Gauge: 18 sts and 38 rows = 4”/10 cm in Garter Stitch stripes of Colors A and B (2 rows of each), blocked, using size needle to obtain gauge.
Needles: US 6 (4 mm) 24”/60 cm and 40”/100 cm circular needles or size needed for gauge. Adjust needle size as necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
Color A: 394 yards of fingering weight (CYCA #1) yarn. Shown in Hand Dyed Yarns by Shaina Bilow “Bounce” (85% Superwash Merino Wool, 15% Nylon; 394 yds/100 g).
Color B: 400 yards of fingering weight (CYCA #1) yarn. Shown in Hand Dyed Yarns by Shaina Bilow “Whirl” (Boucle - 100% Superwash Merino Wool; 492 yds/100 g).
Color C (optional, for lace edge): 78 yards of fingering weight (CYCA #1) yarn. Shown in Hand Dyed Yarns by Shaina Bilow “Bounce” (85% Superwash Merino Wool, 15% Nylon; 78 yds/20 g).
Other Materials: 4 stitch markers, tapestry needle.
A portion of the proceeds from pattern sales of the Hanukkah 2024 collection will be donated to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the leading anti-hate organization in the world. The ADL provides education, resources, and research and works to keep communities safe from antisemitism, bias, and hate.