About the craft
Master Class in Knitting Orenburg Shawl Patterns
In a modern young woman's wardrobe you can often find such an accessory as a shawl. Varied in colour and texture, large and small, they have become an integral part of women's fashion. An important place among the many kinds of shawls is occupied by the Orenburg down shawl. A warm, thick one will keep you warm in the winter cold, while the finest stole will protect you from the chill on a summer evening.
Many needlewomen dream of creating one of the masterpieces of Orenburg craft. But not everyone manages to unravel the mystery of the lace patterns. This master class will give you the opportunity to learn some of the most common patterns: the "rhombus" and the "grid".
"Rhombus"
This pattern can be placed in the centre of a down shawl and consist of a varying number of openwork holes. There may also be one or more smaller rhombuses inside.
Before starting to knit the sample, it is important to remember that Orenburg shawls are knitted only in knit stitches; this is the main feature of their making.
To knit the sample, cast 17 stitches onto the needles. The first four rows are knitted in knit stitches.
Row 5 – knit 8 stitches, make 1 yarn-over, and knit two stitches together.
Row 6 (and all even rows) – all knit stitches
Row 7 – 7 knit stitches only, 1 yarn-over, three stitches together knitwise, 1 yarn-over, and 7 more knit stitches
From row 9, continue knitting according to Chart 1. Keep in mind that to form the bars between the openwork holes of the rhombus, "two stitches together" should be knitted as follows: one of the two stitches is the one knitted from the yarn-over, the other is the one next to it.
Rows 26–29 are again knitted in knit stitches.
Chart 1
"Grid"
The "grid" pattern is the most openwork. Its main function is to separate the border of the shawl from its centre. The number of grids can vary both in length and in width. It depends only on the craftswoman's creative idea.
For the sample, cast on 23 stitches.
The openwork patterns discussed can be used not only to decorate the knitted fabric of an Orenburg shawl but also in other items. For example, stoles or wraps.You will be able to learn in detail about the specifics of knitting stoles in one of the next master classes.
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