Daffodil Days Tips

On this page you’ll find tips & tutorials to help you make your own Daffodil Days! You’ll find information about:

Choosing your two colors

I used two colors of DK-weight yarn in this design, but if you prefer you can also opt to just use one color. For my two samples photographed, I used the DK-weight Manos del Uruguay Milo (a DK-weight merino/linen blend), in two shades of yellow (Pollen and Savannah). The color you start with is color A and in the sample that is the darker yellow shade (Pollen).

When wearing your shawl/scarf, this is the color that will be closest to your neck, at the top of the shawl. Then color B is the color that is at the bottom of your shawl. When choosing your two colors, this is just good info to keep in mind!

Milo is a beautiful choice and has such nice drape thanks to the combo of merino or linen. But really any sport/dk-weight yarn can work nicely for it! If you’re thinking about using a different weight or knitting at a different gauge, make sure to check out my tips below on how to make alterations.

Below is another sample a friend of mine made using Lamana Como, a 100% superfine merino yarn (click here for the Rav project page). She made the kerchief size and made one modification – she started the bottom rib trim with color B as the pattern stated (for the first 4 rows), but then when repeating rows 1-4 2 more times (as stated in the pattern), she switched back to color A. I love this idea to add a bit of color pop to the bottom of the shawl!

Size options

In version 2.0 of the pattern, 3 different size options are provided: kerchief, shawl 1 and shawl 2. The original version, published by Fairmount Fibers in 2024, had only 1 size (the “shawl 1” size) but in the pattern re-release I added a size smaller and a size larger for more versatility.

The kerchief size makes a nice little scarf/shawlette type of size whereas shawl 1 is a small/medium sized shawl and shawl 2 is a large/extra-large size. The finished measurements listed in the pattern help to provide approximate dimensions of each.

Shown above in the kerchief size.
Shown above in shawl 1 size.

Making alterations

If you have a very different gauge or want to use a different weight-yarn, here are some tips:

  • You can begin the Initial Set-up section as written.
  • Work Section 1 as written as well, but at the end of this section, your color A (measuring straight down from the top, along the shawl center spine) approx 9 (13.5, 16.5)”. Depending on if your gauge is looser or tighter, you may want to repeat rows 1 & 2 less or more times in order to achieve this length. But here’s the key – your stitch count on either side of the center stitch needs to be a multiple of 11+1 before proceeding to section 2. So you may need to adjust the length slightly in order to attain this stitch count (and that is a-ok!). Just note that depending on the multiple you’re getting, your last increase round may need to omit the center increases (as was noted for the kerchief size in the pattern). The key again is just that you can’t move on to Section 2 unless your stitch count on either side of the center stitch is a multiple of 11+1.
  • Then, work Section 2 exactly as written.
  • Work Section 3 as written as well, but at the end of this section, your color B should meas (from the start of color B) approx 6.25 (7.75, 10.75)”. So just as you had done in section 1, you can repeat rows 1-2 less/more times until you get to that approximate length, but again making sure your final stitch count on either side of the center stitch is a multiple of 11+1.
  • Then, work Section 4 exactly as written.
  • Section 5’s rib trim should meas approx 1.25″, so when working this section, simply repeat rows 1-4 less or more times to reach that particular length (or just to your preferred length – you can make the trim as long as you like!).

m1 & YO increases

This shawl starts with just a few stitches and then you grow it out by working 4 increases every RS row – a YO at each edge (a couple of stitches in) and m1-R and m1-L on either side of the center stitch. If you are new to these types of increases, click below for my tutorials:

m1-R & m1-L
YO (yarn-over)

Working eyelet stitch

The eyelet motif featured in Daffodil Days includes the following increase/decrease stitches: YO, skp, k2tog. Below are tutorials for each of these techniques if you are not already familiar with them:

YO (yarn-over)
skp
k2tog

Tips on working the eyelet pattern: Utilize eyelet markers

The eyelet pattern is a 12 row pattern that is just worked in 2 spots in the shawl – at the end of the color A section and at the end of the color B section (before the bottom trim). Most of this shawl pattern I would consider relatively simple (since you’re working the same increase row over and over again), but the eyelet sections require just a bit more concentration.

In version 2.0 of the pattern, I broke out each of the steps of the lace pattern into separate bullets, just to make reading the row a bit easier (I find it helps to visualize it this way vs 1 long sentence with lots of different stitches/repeats).

One thing that can help you when working the eyelet pattern sections is to use markers to mark each eyelet repeat (the 11 stitches that are in brackets on each of the RS rows of the lace pattern).

Here is what I mean, using “Section 2 – Color A Eyelet Pattern” as my example (note: make sure the “eyelet markers” you use are a different color or style than the markers you already have placed in your shawl to help differentiate them):

  • In row 1, work the “k2, yo, k2”, then because the bracketed instruction is what is repeated, place an eyelet marker on the right needle, then work the first sequence of “yo, skp, k9”. Then place another eyelet marker on your right needle. So now you have 11 stitches in-between your eyelet markers.
  • Now you’re instructed to repeat the 11 stitch sequence that is in brackets until 8 sts before the center marker. So you’ll repeat what you just did – work the 11 stitch repeat of “yo, skp, k9” and then place an eyelet marker on the right needle. Do this until you’re 8 sts from that center marker.
  • After placing your last eyelet marker, you’ll then work the pattern as instructed which is “yo, skp, k6, m1-R, sm, k1, sm, m1-L, k6, k2tog, yo.
  • Then you see the brackets again! So now you know you want to start placing your eyelet markers again (now on the other side of the shawl). So you’ll place an eyelet marker on your right needle and then begin the bracketed instruction which is “k9, k2tog, yo”. Then you’ll place another marker on your right needle. Then each time you repeat that bracketed 11-stitch sequence you’ll place an eyelet marker on the right needle.
  • Once you’ve done that, you then finish the row as instructed, which ends with “k2, yo, k2”.
  • So now, every RS row of that lace pattern, you’ll know that the repeated sequence is worked over those 11 stitches in-between each set of eyelet markers.
  • The eyelet pattern technically ends after working row 12, so on row 12 you can remove any eyelet markers you have placed (note: just make sure not to remove your center st markers – only remove the eyelet markers!),

By utilizing eyelet markers like this, it’s easier to keep track of the sequences, and it’s easier to spot potential mistakes because at the end of every RS row, you can double-check by making sure you still have 11 stitches in-between each set of eyelet markers.

Note: because you’re still working increases at the edges and at the spine of the shawl, your stitch counts will be changing outside of the eyelet markers, but in-between each eyelet marker should always be 11 stitches.