Note:  Here is a link to a close up of the stitch pattern.

I started trying to figure out a way to incorporate the Dragon Skin stitch pattern (from Barbara Walker’s second treasury) into a shawl about two years ago.  It was then and is now one of my favorites, elegant and complex looking, but simple in concept and execution.

As you may recall, a friend gave me a glorious and generous gift of yarn for Christmas - Cascade 220 in a rich, deep red.  At that time, I was looking at the Victorian Lace Shawl and thought it was that I was going to make.  Reading the method for that shawl, however, made me giddy at the thought of being able to incorporate any pattern at all into a shawl and then I remembered Dragon Skin.

This stitch pattern is 26 stitches wide by 12 rows.  The chart for it looks like this:

You can see that it is a mirror symmetry in that one side exactly reflects the other.  The shawl shape is created by increasing 4 stitches on every right-side row, one at each end and one on either side of the center line.  If you were going to keep adding increases until you had enough for a full repeat of the pattern (at each of the four increase points on the shawl), you’d have to increase to 104 stitches before you even began the design!  Since the stitch pattern splits perfectly down the middle, I decided to do it that way, working in half patterns and adding the appropriate half every 13 increased stitches.

-  Knit
M Make 1
/  K2tog
\  SSK

Both charts are worked from right to left.

The resulting shawl is, I think, very beautiful and it will certainly be nice and warm when the colder weather returns (and it was quite warm during the picture-taking session yesterday afternoon too!).  It is also very wide, proportionally, to it’s depth.  At first I was disappointed with this, but since blocking it, have came to appreciate that these proportions have their own charm and grace.  The shawl is about 72” wide and about 48” from top to bottom.  An equilateral triangle it ain’t :)  It also has a notched neck though this would be easy to change should you so desire.

There is no edging - yet.  I haven’t entirely given up on it, though I’m a lot happier with Dragon’s looks since it was blocked.  Some little nag in the back of my head hasn’t given up annoying me about it (and I do have enough Cascade 220 remaining) so it’s still a possibility.  I intend to wear it whether it’s edged or not :)

So, with your kind forbearance, I give you Dragon Wings

Materials
Cascade 220 - 5 hanks in color of your choice (or the equivalent amount of any heavy worsted or aran weight yarn; a larger shawl or one with an edging or fringe will require more yarn).
Circular needle, size 9US (or 5.5mm) - I started on a 36” needle and ended on a 60” Addi Turbo.
Stitch markers (lots of em!)

Cast on 30 stitches. (Note:  This will create the notched neck.  If you would prefer a more standard shawl top, cast on 6 stitches and work in stockinette, increasing 4 stitches every right side row until you have 30 stitches.  Then start with Row 1.)

Row 1 (WS):  P1, pm, P13, pm, P1, pm, P1, pm, P13, pm, P1.

Row 2:  K1, M1, slip marker.  Work Row 2 of Chart A, slip marker, knit into the front and back of next two stitches , slipping the marker between them.(Note: You will only increase this way - or any other way you prefer - on the center increases of Row 2 )  Slip marker.  Work Row 2 of Chart B, slip marker, M1, K1.

Row 3: (and all odd numbered rows): Purl across.

Row 4: K1, M1, K1, slip marker, work Row 4 of Chart A, slip marker. K1, M1, K1, slip marker, K1, M1, K1, slip marker.  Work Row 4 of Chart B, slip marker, K1, M1, K1.

The method is the same for all following pattern rows.  You will always K1, M1 at the beginning of the row, knit through the increase stitches, and then work the appropriate pattern row.  The center stitches will start with a K1, M1, you will knit through the increase stitches (slipping the marker in the center) and end with a M1, K1.  Then the other side of the pattern will be worked, the increase stitches knitted, and you will end with a M1, K1.

Work two complete repeats of the pattern, increasing on both ends and in the center as described.

Now there is a make-up row - Myria called it a leap-row :)  You should have 13 increase stitches on each end and 26 stitches in the middle.  These are almost ready to be incorporated into the pattern but you also need fourmore stitches (one on each end and two in the middle) into which to start working the next set of increases.  So…

Make-up row : Right hand side of shawl: K1, M1, K to marker, slip marker, *K1, M1, K2tog, K to 3 stitches before next marker, SSK, M1, K1*  Repeat for each section of the pattern chart.  Slip marker. Center sections: K1, M1, K across (slipping center marker) to 1 stitch before next marker.  M1, K1, slip marker.  Left-hand side of shawl:  *K1, M1, K2tog, K to 3 stitches before next marker, SSK, M1, K1*.  Repeat for each section of the pattern chart.  Knit across increase stitches up to the last stitch - M1, K1.

Next row:  Purl.

Now you’re ready to add your next repeat of the stitch pattern.  This time you’ll start with Chart B, continuing to work Chart A as you did through the first iteration and continuing to do the increases as before.  Then the first half of the center increase stitches will be Chart B as well.  Add markers before, between and after the center two stitches.  The second half will be Chart A, then the Chart B stitches, worked as before and Chart A again on the end increase section.  You may wish to place markers between each section.  I did and I would have been lost (wailing in the wilderness) without them!

Continue increasing on right-side rows as established and incorporate the appropriate half of the stitch pattern when you have enough stitches in your increase sections.  Don’t forget the make-up rows between each two full repeats of the stitch pattern (every 24 rows).

Because the shawl is built from the top center out and down, the number of stitches builds up rather quickly and, once established, a section never changes - if it starts as Chart A that section of stitches will always be Chart A.

So if you take it in sections, it would look like this:

Inc - A - inc - inc - B - inc (two pattern repeats + make-up row)

then,

Inc - B - A - B - inc - inc - A - B - A - inc (two pattern repeats + make-up row)
 
then,

Inc - A - B - A - B - A - inc - inc - B - A - B - A - B (twice + make-up)

And,

Inc - B - A - B - A - B - A - B - inc - inc - A - B - A - B - A - B - A (twice + make-up)

And so forth.

You can make this as big or as small as you like.  I went through just over four hanks of yarn - call it 900 - 950 yards.  End after the purl row following a make-up row and bind off loosely.  Weave in the ends and block.

Then put your shawl around your shoulders and soar!

...or dream

This was a lot more awkward to explain that it was to knit :)  I hope I have made things clear enough but please don’t hesitate to ask about anything and please, please let me know if something doesn’t seem right to you.  The concept might seem a little complicated but I promise - the execution is pretty simple.

Also, the color in the photographs is off quite a bit and I couldn’t find a way to fix it.  The yarn isn’t really orangey at all but more like black cherry.  However, it and the camera, abetted by the sun, seemed to do their own thing!