Saltarello

Saltarello is a top-down, fingering-weight triangular shawl featuring an all-over lace pattern of diamonds and chevrons that flow into each other like beautiful waves. Graceful mesh lace with scalloped points adds a lovely finishing touch to the border edge. With so much openwork in the elegant lace design, Saltarello is the perfect cover up for cool spring and summer nights. 

This shawl knits up very quickly for a fairly large triangle due to all the yarn-over action. Both newer and experienced lace knitters will appreciate how intuitive the stitch patterns are to knit, with easy-to-memorize, 14-stitch pattern repeats. And on the wrong side, you'll just breeze across the row, purling all stitches between the 2-stitch garter borders.

While dimensions and yardage are provided for fingering weight, Saltarello could effectively be worked in lace or sport weight as well. Solid, tonal, gradient or subtly variegated yarn made of natural fibers is recommended for best results. Both the size and the design itself may be easily customized; full instructions are provided, including how to calculate stitch counts for any size and yardage estimates. 

Saltarello is named after a popular medieval dance. The name is used interchangeably for both the dance and the fast, lively music that accompanied it. For the past few months, I’ve started each morning playing my mountain dulcimer for about an hour before I begin my work day. I particularly love playing medieval music, as it is well suited to the instrument. As I was learning two different “Saltarello” pieces, I was inspired to design a shawl with a lace pattern that was as lively as the music itself. Links to both versions of the tune as well as some other medieval pieces I love are included on the pattern.

The Saltarello pattern includes both charts and full written out instructions for those of you who prefer not to use charts.

SKILL LEVEL 

Intermediate

FINISHED SIZE  

75 x 35” (191 x 89 cm), adjustable

YARN WEIGHT

Fingering

YARDAGE     

Approximately 690-740 yds (631-677 m) 

YARN             

Three Irish Girls Congdon Merino Silk, 80% Superwash Merino/20% Silk, Summer Magic colorway (purple); Kim Dyes Yarn Napoleon Sock, 80% Merino/20% Silk, Coreopsis colorway (pink)

NEEDLES     

US Size 5 (3.75 mm) circular, 32” (80 cm) long 

NOTIONS    

4 stitch markers, blocking supplies, tapestry needle to weave in ends

GAUGE         

4.5 sts = 1" (2.5 cm) stockinette stitch, blocked. Note that gauge is not critical but will affect the finished size and yardage requirements. 

DELIVERY FORMAT

This product is a downloadable PDF of the instructions to make this design, not the item itself. Upon completed purchase, you will be able to download the pattern immediately from the payment window. You will also receive an email with a download link. Please see the FAQ for more details.

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION

This original pattern is intended for the purchaser’s personal use only. Copying and then distributing or sharing the pattern in whole or part including text, charts or photographs is prohibited without my written consent. All rights reserved.