A top-down shallow crescent knit on 3.25mm/US3 needles with approximately 140g/700yds of yarn.

It’s a challenging pattern for confident knitters, requiring familiarity with the following techniques and concepts:
ribbing, lace stitches on RS and WS, stranding, intarsia, color dominance, long multicolored rows, trapping, making bobbins, lots of ends to weave in.

knit/lab Colorwork Crescent is also available as part of the Five Colorwork Shawls eBook.

This pattern was originally published in four instalments as a mystery knit-along pattern in July and August 2014. There is a thread for the KAL here.

Gauge: approx. 18 sts and 24 rows = 4in/10cm

Approximately one third of the yarn is an MC used at the top of the shawl and in bands throughout, one third is an improvised gradation of 5 or 6 shades running down to the lower edge, and the rest is made up of various amounts of small quantities of 15-20 colors.
Yardages are supplied for the intarsia motifs, but not for the stranded and eyelet bands. I didn’t keep track of specific MC and longer row yardages as I was working from a cone and full balls of yarn.

I used a selection of bright colors, mixing in light shades and rich darker shades for contrast in the stranded and intarsia areas. You can also use a more subdued palette - just make sure it includes light and dark! It will be more fun if you have a good deal more than the required 700yds - there will be more leeway for color choices.

Phototutorials for splicing yarn ends are included if you want to create your own gradations.

I used an 80cm/31in 3.25mm/US3 circular needle to start and changed to a 140cm/55in circular needle for the longer rows.
BO with 5mm/US8 for stretchy edge.

Blocking dimensions: approx. 44.5cm/17.5in deep at center back by 165cm/65in wide

The pdf contains lots of charts, short written instructions commenting on the charts, and photos of finished projects and variations on the basic pattern.

knit/lab Colorwork Crescent is also available here in the kCDesign format for use with the knitCompanion app.

Please read the Terms and Conditions applicable to knit/lab pattern purchases before purchasing this pattern. The T&C can be viewed here.