Mpito
Mpito is Suaheli for "transition". It is a light and slightly asymmetric triangular shawl, designed for those days of indian summer or spring, when your winter scarf is too warm, but it would still be nice to have something around your neck. It is also a hint on construction of the shawl: Alternating patterns, stockinette sections are getting shorter and lace sections take up more space, so that proportions are shifting while you proceed. Matching the gauge, about 100g of fingering wool with a yardage of 155m/50g are sufficient for 6 blocks, resulting in a length of ca. 2m (after blocking). Gauge is not crucial, since you can adjust the pattern individually to match your needs and preferences. For example knit less or additional blocks to create a greater or smaller shawl, or vary the relation of stockinette section to lace section right from the start (please note that, whatever you change, number of rows in each section must be divisible by 4, otherwise the number of stitches doesn't fit for the lace row) ... Mpito is knitted sideways from one tip to another in stockinette stitch with a narrow garter stitch border to minimize rolling up. The simple, increasingly repetitive lace pattern loosens up the appearance.
Materials:
Fingering wool (app. 155m/50g) circular needle, (Us 7or 8/ 4 - 5 mm), 80cm or longer yarn needle for weaving in ends
Techniques:
knit and purl, yarn over, knit two stitches together, increase 1 stitch knitting in front and back loop of the same stitch
Abbreviations:
k: knit; p: purl; kfb: increase 1 stitch knitting in front and back loop of the same stitch yo:yarn over K2tog: knit two stitches together.
Gauge:
24 rows/20 stitches = 10cm stockinette st If you have any questions or if you have found an error in the pattern, please don't hesitate to contact me on www.ravelry.com: Gorywynn
Instructions:
Cast on 3 stitches.
The beginning:
1) k2, kfb 2) kfb, k1, k2tog 3) kto last stitch, kfb 4) kfb, kto last 2 stitches, k2tog
Repeat rows 3) and 4) another five times, 10 stitches on the needle. Continue with
Stockinette section:
a) k5, p to last 4 stitches, k3, kfb b) kfb, k to last 2 stitches, k2tog Repeat rows a) and b) another 7 times.
Lace section:
1) k1, \*yo, k2tog\* repeat \*...\* to last stitch, yo, kfb II) kfb, k to last 2 stitches, k2tog Knit lace section once. The first block is finished now. Every block consists of 32 rows divided into stockinette section and lace section. In the first block you knitted 14 "beginning rows", the stockinette section comprising 16 rows and lace section comprising 2 rows. Now proceed to next blocks replacing stockinette rows gradually by lace rows as follows: Block Il: knit 14 times stockinette section, 2 times lace section Block Il: knit 13 times stockinette section, 3 times lace section Block IV: knit 12 times stockinette section, 4 times lace section Knit 6 blocks or more, as you like. Consider using bigger needles for binding off very loosely. Wash, block and enjoy!
