A Funny Thing Happened...

**Errata added 7/9** - Trim should read *Dc next st, ch 7, sc in 5^th ch from hook, ch 2, sk 3 st, dc next st.*

The other day, a nice gal named Les sent up a challenge on Ravelry to recreate Doris Chan's famous All Shawl in Tunisian crochet. Well, I love Doris, I love shawls, and I think everyone knows I love Tunisian! So, that challenge was right up my alley.

I knew I needed something semi-circular, and something with a fairly tall, open stitch. After all, these are the traits carried by the All Shawl. So, following the basic formula for a perfect (half) circle, I set off using the Tunisian double crochet, also called Tunisian double stitch but...

A Funny Thing Happened...

Take a look at this picture of the shawl, before blocking. There is a definite sway to the right. Convinced I had screwed up somehow, somewhere, I started designing a new shawl, also semi-circular, but with a more complicated stitch pattern. Sure enough, the sway was there too! I am not sure why it's there; it doesn't really show up as much when working other shapes. But, I am convinced that blocking cures all evils, and it didn't fail me on this adventure either. Anyway, hope you enjoy this pattern!

Materials:
GypsyKnits BFL Superwash Wool Fingering weight, appx 385 yds
J Tunisian (afghan) hook
Tapestry needle

Gauge: not especially important.

Abbreviations:

tds = Tunisian double stitch (y/o, insert hk, draw up lp, y/o, draw through 2 lps)
y/o = yarn over (increase made)
lp = loop
hk = hook
sp = space
st = stitch
ch = chain

Notes:

•Ch 1 at the beginning of each row, counts as a tds.
•All return rows are as normal: y/o, pull through 1 loop, then y/o and pull through 2 loops for remainder of row.
•Yarn-overs, and the spaces created by them, count as stitches and should be worked accordingly.
•All stitches are created knitwise, meaning the hook is inserted from front to back, through the fabric.
•The fabric will not appear to be perfectly semi-circular. However, a good blocking will remedy the situation regardless of the fiber content used.

Pattern:

**Read Notes first!**
Ch 10
Row 1: With 1 lp on hk, *y/o, pull up next loop*. Repeat from * to * to end of row.
Row 2: With 1 lp on hk, tdc in y/o sp, *y/o, tdc in next st and y/o sp *. Repeat from * to * to end of row.
Row 3: With 1 lp on hk, tdc in next st and y/o sp, *y/o, tdc in next 2 st and y/o sp *. Repeat from * to * to end of row.
Row 4: With 1 lp on hk, tdc in next 2 st and y/o sp, *y/o, tdc in next 3 st and y/o sp *. Repeat from * to * to end of row.
Rows 5 – to desired size: continue increasing each section by tdc in each tdc, as well as each y/o sp.

Trim/Bind Off Row:

Ch 10, sc in 5th ch from hook (counts as dc, ch 2), ch 2, sk 3 st, dc next st. *Dc next st, ch 7, sc in 5th ch from hook, sk 3 st, dc next st.* Repeat from * to * to end of row. In the event that you are short or over 1 extra st, just sk 2 st for last trim section, or sk 2 for the last 2 sections, to even it out.

Finishing:

Block the shawl, regardless of the material used, to beat the sway into submission. Check out the pics here on the blocking board, and after. Blocking matters!