Pi in Bloom by Tonia Lyons

Pi in Bloom

Knitting
August 2026
Fingering (14 wpi) ?
20 stitches and 26 rows = 4 inches
in St st
US 7 - 4.5 mm
4.0 mm (G)
1200 yards (1097 m)
One Size
English

Pi shawls are such a fun way to knit a shawl (especially if you enjoy working stockinette stitch or other stitch patterns in the round). It begins with a closed center cast on and grows at a steady rate with just six increase rounds. The number of plain rounds worked between those increase rounds doubles with every increase round, and, after the first few sections, there is plenty of space to add an interesting stitch pattern (or two or three!). Elizabeth Zimmermann is the creator of this unique construction method, and you can read the companion article linked at the end for more information about the simple yet beautiful pi shawl construction.

With this shawl I wanted to use some lace motifs that told a story, and since it’s spring as I’m knitting this (and I’m waiting for the flowers to bloom), I was inspired by those spring flowers and their stages of growth. This shawl uses three different lace stitch patterns to symbolize flowers as they grow–—from seeds, to buds, to blooms.