Evil Mistress

Evil Mistress Shawl by Kelly Spenhoff

Project Overview

The Evil Mistress is a beginner-friendly triangular shawl designed by Kelly Spenhoff. This downloadable knitting pattern produces a finished shawl measuring 48 inches (122 cm) wide and 20 inches (51 cm) tall, making it an ideal accessory-sized wrap suitable for layering or draping across the shoulders.

What Is Being Made

This project is a one-size shawl featuring a striking two-color colorwork design. The shawl uses a primary purple yarn (Color A) combined with a green and purple yarn (Color B) to create visual contrast and depth in the finished piece. The triangular silhouette and generous finished dimensions make this shawl versatile for various styling options.

Knitting Techniques Used

The Evil Mistress incorporates several fundamental knitting techniques that remain accessible to beginners while creating sophisticated results:

• Garter Tab Cast On: A decorative cast-on method that creates a finished edge without requiring a separate bind-off, giving the shawl a polished appearance from the start
• Knit into the Stitch Below (k1B): This technique adds texture and visual interest by working into the row beneath the current working row, creating a distinctive stitch pattern
• Make 1 Left (m1L) and Make 1 Right (m1R) Increases: These directional increases are used to shape the shawl's triangular form while maintaining clean, nearly invisible increase lines that blend seamlessly into the overall design
• Stitch Markers: The pattern employs six stitch markers to help track pattern repeats and shaping sections, making it easier to follow the instructions and maintain consistent stitch counts

Stitches and Stitch Pattern

The Evil Mistress is worked primarily in pattern stitch, which combines knit stitches with the k1B technique to create texture. The gauge for this pattern is 25 stitches and 24 rows over 4 inches (10 cm) when worked in the pattern stitch. The combination of knit stitches, strategic increases (m1L and m1R), and the k1B technique work together to build the shawl's structure while creating visual interest throughout the fabric.

Materials and Tools

Yarn: The Evil Mistress uses fingering weight yarn in two colors. Color A (purple) requires 340 yards (311 meters), while Color B (green and purple) requires 180 yards (165 meters), for a total yardage of approximately 520 yards (476 meters). Fingering weight yarn creates a delicate, refined fabric ideal for shawls.

Needles: This pattern calls for US 8 circular needles measuring at least 24 inches in length to accommodate the increasing number of stitches as the shawl grows from the cast-on edge.

Notions: Six stitch markers and a yarn needle for weaving in ends are required to complete the project.

Difficulty Level

Rated as a beginner pattern, the Evil Mistress is designed to be accessible to knitters new to shawl construction. The required skills—garter tab cast on, k1B, m1L, and m1R—are fundamental techniques that beginners can master with practice. The straightforward shaping and use of stitch markers to track progress make this an excellent introduction to shawl knitting without requiring advanced techniques.