Named for the horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) the lace resembles, this asymmetrical triangular shawl’s built-in i-cord edging wraps continuously around the entire piece, enclosing simple cables and elegant lace like the shell of its namesake.

Yarn: 420 yards (384m) of fingering weight yarn. Sample shown in Lorna’s Laces Set In Palladium (63% US Superwash Merino/20% Silk/15% Nylon/2% Silver; 420 yards/100 g skein) in ‘Zircon’.
Gauge: 23 sts and 28 rows in 4 inches (10 cm) square in cable and lace pattern after blocking (use red boxed repeat for swatching)
Needles: 24 inch (60 cm) circular needle, 4mm (US6) or size needed to obtain gauge.
Finished size: 50 inches (127cm) along increase edge, 30 inches
(76cm) along bind-off edge.
Notions: Cable needle, optional markers for repeats, tapestry needle for weaving in ends.
Techniques Used: knit, purl, k2tog, ssk, k3tog, sssk, knit front and back, working stitches through the back loop, slipping stitches with yarn in front and back, m3 (k1, yo, k1 into the same stitch), small cables (2 over 2), kitchener stitch, Judy’s Magic Cast-On (with video link), i-cord bind off (with tutorial video).

This pattern is written to get the most out of a single skein of the suggested yarn. To do this you are instructed to reserve enough yarn for an i-cord bind-off. If you are using a different yarn with a different number of yards per skein, or your gauge is drastically different, this will change the amount of yarn you will need for the bind off, in which case If you are making a swap like this, I suggest you leave more than 15 yards (14m) of yarn for the i-cord bind off. Sample is shown with 5 repeats of Chart 2 plus 12 rows.

This shawl is knit as a straight triangle, but the nature of the i-cord edging and the single edge increases makes the increase edge (which serves as the wingspan on this shawl) curve slightly in the blocking. When blocking don’t be too rigid with the straight lines and the shawl will drape and flow in a very graceful way.

This pattern includes an i-cord bind-off, a tutorial video for which is available here: http://youtu.be/7HzaU5ZSDFc