In the 1830s, when a visitor to far-off lands returned from their travels with cases of a Turkish sweet called Lokum, they sparked a culinary craze in England and beyond. Even though it was first sold to the English-speaking world under the less-than-romantic name “Lumps of Delight”, Turkish Delight was an instant sensation.

What made the confection so novel—so delightful—was its softness. Before Turkish Delight, sugar-based sweets were usually hard candies: like the aptly-named “rock” or extremely chewy taffy. But the silky-smooth texture and melting sweetness of these mysterious little cubes was irresistible. Nobody could get enough. It was so rare and decadent that it became a very fashionable holiday gift, because every piece of Turkish Delight was imported, at great expense. Although many western companies tried to recreate it, they all failed. The ingredients couldn’t be simpler, but manufacturers struggled with the process: hours and hours of gentle cooking, faithful stirring, and patient setting.

Perhaps they should have asked a knitter. We understand the magical properties of patience, time, and care. The Turkish Delight Shawl is a gentle and rewarding knit: sweet, soft, and simple. This asymmetrical triangle shawl features easy lace panels representing the iconic square sweet, alternated with restful sections of garter stitch. Made from DK weight yarn (or fingering held double, as I did for the sample) the pattern knits up relatively quickly, so it makes a great, indulgent gift. But if you’d rather keep it for yourself, I understand. Not all sweets need to be shared.

size
One Size

finished measurements
Approximately 170cm/67” on the curved edge,
114cm/45” straight edge and 132cm/52” cast off edge.

yarn
Circus Tonic Handmade Flock Fingering
100% SW Merino; 365m/399yds per 100g, x 2 skeins
Colour: Orange Blossom
Held together with:
Circus Tonic Handmade Fireworks Sparkle Sock 75% SW Merino, 20% Nylon, 5% Gold Stellina; 400m/437yds per 100g x 2 skeins
Colour: Orange Blossom
Actual yarn used approximately 150g or 600m of two fingering weight yarns held together ie a total of 300g or 1200m.
If using DK weight yarn, you will need approximately 300g or 675m of DK weight yarn.

needles
5mm (US 8), 100cm (40”) long circular needles (or size to obtain gauge)

notions
Removeable stitch marker Tapestry needle

gauge
17sts/32 rows = 10cm (4”) in garter stitch after blocking. Exact gauge is not critical but may affect the amount of yarn needed if different.