PukA-PukA SHAWL
A free pattern by Karen Fenlason
Puka-Puka came about because the rainbow variegated yarn I used reminded me of the time I've spent in Hawai, specifically near Anahola on Kauai where the mountain ridge used to be perforated by a hole or puka. If puka means hole in Hawaiian, then puka puka means many holes. No matter which yarn you choose for this shawl it will still have many many pukas! Puka-Puka is a basic triangular shawl, knit in stockinette, that opens up through cast off and then cast on holes. It is simple, but the large holes and yarn choice make it interesting and I hope, fun to knit!
Yarn:
For the solid color, I used two skeins of Pediboo Sport by Frogtree in color 1190 (510 yards). 1 repurposed it from a shawl that wasn't going so well. I didn't like the color combo I chose and didn't like the way the shawl draped, but I still loved the squishy soft sock yarn. Of course the ball band was long gone! Huge thanks to the store where I purchased it for looking up the name of theyarn. For the variegated, I used two balls (420 yards) of Adirondack Yarn Co. Bloomin' Colors in Rainbow DL3. I had 3 yards left when I finished the last repeat. You might want an extra ball just in case if you use this yarn. You can use any contrasting yarns of very similar weight and fiber content. I'd stay away from yarn that has no give like cotton or linen, though.
Gauge:
It isn't terribly important. Knit a swatch. I knit my Puka-Puka in sock weight yarn using US7 needles. If your fabric is too dense or too loose, change needle size up or down until you get the look and feel you like.
Tab cast on:
With solid color, cast on four stitches. If you want it to be less noticeable, use a provisional cast on. Knit 15 rows of garter stitch. Without turning, pick up 7 stitches using the purl bumps, along the edge of the garter tab, then four stitches from the bottom cast on edge of the garter tab (or unpick the provisional cast on and knit the live stitches from that).
Body of shawl:
Row 1: Knit the four edge stitches. Place a marker. YO, k3, M1 (lift the running yarn between the stitches onto the left needle and knit it through the back loop), place marker, k1, place marker, M1, k3, YO, place marker, knit the four edge stitches. The M1s are so there are no large holes along the center spine of the shawl. Row 2: Knit the edge stitches, slip 1st edge marker, purl to 1st center marker, slip marker, purl middle stitch, slip 2nd center marker, purl to second edge marker, slip marker, knit edge stitches. Row 3: Knit the edge stitches, slip 1st edge marker, YO, k5, M1, slip marker, k1, slip marker, M1, k5, YO, slip marker, knit edge stitches. Row 4: Knit the edge stitches, slip 1st edge marker, purl to 1st center marker, slip marker purl middle stitch, slip marker, purl to second edge marker, slip marker, knit edge stitches. Row 5: Knit the edge stitches, slip 1st edge marker, YO, k7, M1, slip marker, k1, slip marker, M1, k7, YO, slip marker, knit edge stitches. Row 6: Knit the edge stitches, slip 1st edge marker, purl to 1st center marker, slip marker purl middle stitch, slip marker, purl to second edge marker, slip marker, knit edge stitches. Row 7: Knit the edge stitches, slip 1st edge marker, YO, k9, M1, slip marker, k1, slip marker, M1, k9, YO, slip marker, knit edge stitches. Row 8: Knit the edge stitches, slip 1st edge marker, purl to 1st center marker, slip marker purl middle stitch, slip marker, purl to second edge marker, slip marker, knit edge stitches. Row 9: Knit the edge stitches, slip 1st edge marker, YO, k3, cast off 5 stitches (you will be left with a stitch on your right needle) k2, M1, slip marker, k1, slip marker, M1, k3, cast off 5 stitches, k2, YO, slip marker, knit edge stitches. Break yarn leaving about 4 inches for weaving in. Attach variegated yarn. Row 10: Knit the edge stitches, slip marker p4 to first hole, cast on 5 stitches using cable cast on or backward loop cast on, P4, slip stitch marker, P1, slip stitch marker P4, cast on 5 stitches, P4, slip marker, Knit the edge stitches. Row 11: Knit the edge stitches, slip 1st edge marker, YO, knit to 1st center marker, M1, slip marker, k1, slip marker, M1, knit to 2nd edge marker, YO, slip marker, knit edge stitches. Row 12: Knit the edge stitches, slip 1st edge marker, purl to 1st center marker, slip marker purl middle stitch, slip marker, purl to second edge marker, slip marker, knit edge stitches. Row 13: Knit the edge stitches, slip 1st edge marker, YO, knit to 1st center marker, M1, slip marker, k1, slip marker, M1, knit to 2nd edge marker, YO, slip marker, knit edge stitches. Row 14: Knit the edge stitches, slip 1st edge marker, purl to 1st center marker, slip marker purl middle stitch, slip marker, purl to second edge marker, slip marker, knit edge stitches. Row 15: Knit the edge stitches, slip 1st edge marker, YO, knit to 1st center marker, M1, slip marker, k1, slip marker, M1, knit to 2nd edge marker, YO, slip marker, knit edge stitches. Row 16: Knit the edge stitches, slip 1st edge marker, purl to 1st center marker, slip marker purl middle stitch, slip marker, purl to second edge marker, slip marker, knit edge stitches. Row 17: Knit the edge stitches, slip 1st edge marker, YO, k3, \*cast off 5 stitches, k2\* repeat until you reach the center marker, M1, slip marker, k1, slip marker, M1, k3, \*cast off 5 stitches, k2\* repeat until you reach the 2nd edge marker, YO, slip marker, knit edge stitches. Change yarn to alternate color. Row 18: Knit the edge stitches, slip marker p4 to first hole, \*cast on 5 stitches, p3\* repeat until one stitch before 1st center stitch marker, p1, slip marker p1, slip marker, p4, \*cast on 5 stitches, p3\* repeat until one stitch before 2nd edge stitch marker, p1, slip marker, knit edge stitches. Repeat rows 11 through 18 alternating solid color and variegated color until you use up the variegated yarn, then knit one more repeat of the solid color. Cast off on the knit row where you would cast off 5 to make pukas. You can customize the size of the shawl by knitting fewer repeats or adding repeats. Adding repeats will of course require more yarn.
Cast off:
Cast off edge stitches (this leaves one loop on the right needle), \*k2, turn work and P3, turn work and k3, turn work and p3, turn work and cast off 7 (this makes a little point with a little puka)\* repeat between \* \* until four stitches before 1st center marker. K2, turn work and p3, turn work and k3, turn work and p3, turn work and cast off 4. Remove marker, cast off 1, remove marker, \*k2, turn work and P3, turn work and k3, turn work and p3, turn work and cast off 7\* repeat between \* \* until four stitches before 2nd edge marker. K2, turn work and p3, turn work and k3, turn work and p3, turn work and cast off remaining stitches. Break yarn and pull the end through the last loop. Weave in the ends of the joined yarn.
Blocking:
Block the shawl rather aggressively to open up all the pukas. Pin out all the little points of the castoffedge.
