Salad Shawl is the first shawl in the Dinner Party Collection: a collection of shawls inspired by different dishes, which together would create a yummy meal for a dinner party. Each shawl is named after a different course and each pattern includes the recipe for the dish which inspired the design. My husband loves to cook and we have decided to combine our respective talents in this collection: I create the knitting patterns and he the recipes.

Our first course is the Salad Shawl, a small triangular shawl worked from side to side, with lace on one edge and a lovely little cable on the other. The shape and points on the edge are created by casting on stitches while you knit the first half of the shawl and binding off stitches in the second half. The accompanying recipe is Brandon’s Mediterranean Feta Salad recipe.

Please note that the two sides of this shawl are not completely identical. They are close, but cast-on stitches do not look exactly the same as bound-off stitches. Please see the close-up shot of the shawl showing both sides (photo 9 from the top) to see what each side looks like.

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Length along top edge after blocking: 61.75 inches or 157cm.
Depth from top edge to bottom edge at deepest point after blocking: 14.5 inches or 37cm.

YARN USED TO MAKE SHAWL PICTURED
Socktopus Sokkusa 100% superwash merino wool; 433yds/396m per 4.2oz/120g; color: Lime & Basil; 1 skein.

MATERIALS NEEDED
Fingering weight yarn, amount similar to amount listed above for the shawl pictured.
Approximate yardage: 410yds or 375m.
29-inch (or larger) US #6/4mm circular needle or size needed to obtain gauge.
Cable needle.
2 stitch markers.
Darning needle.

GAUGE
20 sts/28 rows = 4 x 4 inches in stockinette stitch AFTER BLOCKING. Gauge is not crucial for this project, however, to get the dimensions of the shawl pictured it is best to obtain gauge.

TECHNIQUES
Cable knitting.
Casting on stitches with the cable cast on method.
Casting off stitches.
Simple lace knitting.

PATTERN NOTES
The shawl is worked from side to side. The shape is created by casting on stitches and after the center of the shawl by binding off stitches. Instructions are given on how to add extra length to the shawl. When you cast on stitches, you do so at the beginning of the row using the cable cast on method, instructions for which are given in the pattern.