Casting On: 6 Tips for Starting a Victorian Shawl

It is the start of a new year, and on the East Coast it has been very cold and the days are still rather short. So relaxing inside and knitting is the perfect way for me to while away the evening hours. I adore shawl knitting, especially with shawls that have little shaping and yards of stitches.

It’s wonderful for me to see how the interesting patterns develop on my needles week after week. Knitting a large amount of stitches can help us practice an unfamiliar pattern until it becomes second nature. The rhythmic repeats are very satisfying indeed.

Although I embrace knitting in colder months, I still have my eye on spring. And working on a light, lacy shawl in a fine yarn lets me daydream about sunny days and warmer evenings ahead when I can blithely drape a shawl over my shoulders and say goodbye to coats, scarves, and gloves.

The process of knitting a fine-gauge wrap, veil, or shawl can seem like a warm embrace; it is so satisfying to sit all cuddled up, knitting an ever-growing project as a pile of lace pools on my lap.

Victorian Inspiration

Our Victorian ancestors must have agreed. In 1889, Weldon’s published a book called Weldon’s Practical Needlework that included a pattern for A Veil: Knitted in an Open Diamond Pattern, With a Vine Leaf Pattern Border. Designer Carolyn Wyborny was inspired to adapt this pattern into a shawl with a becoming crescent shape—a style that is very wearable now, yet pays homage to a pattern that Weldon’s describes as “perfectly elegant and not at all difficult to execute.” Wyborny’s design, A Shawl Based on a Weldon’s Veil Pattern to Knit, is a timeless design that is enjoyable to knit. What could be better?

Carolyn Wyborny’s A Shawl Based on a Weldon’s Veil Pattern to Knit has proven popular with knitters. Photos, clockwise from top left: Margot Culver, Virpi Tarvo, Susan Elliott.

Success from the Start

The one thing I have learned in my years of shawl knitting is that it all comes down to the cast-on row. Much in the way that a bad foundation can sink a house, an improper cast-on can jeopardize the wearability of your garment.