Russler Shawl by Carol Feller - Knitting Pattern For Women in The Yarn Collective

Russler Chevron Shawl by Carol Feller – Knitting Pattern Summary

The Russler Chevron Shawl is a striking, generously sized knitted shawl designed by Carol Feller and published by The Yarn Collective. This intermediate-level knitting pattern produces a large, wearable shawl measuring an impressive 279.5 cm (110 inches) in width and 198 cm (78 inches) in depth, making it a truly statement piece that can be worn in multiple ways. The design takes its name from its bold chevron stitch patterning, which is elevated through the use of a carefully considered three-colour palette that creates visual depth and movement across the fabric.

Design Overview

The Russler Chevron Shawl is knitted in one size, and its generous dimensions mean it functions as a wrap, a blanket scarf, or a dramatic shoulder covering. The chevron construction creates a rhythmic, geometric pattern that is both visually engaging to knit and beautiful to wear. The interplay of the three colourways — Sand, Copper, and Russet — gives the finished shawl a warm, autumnal palette that references the earthy tones suggested by the pattern name.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern is written specifically for The Yarn Collective Bloomsbury DK, a DK weight yarn in a Pembroke Worsted Merino Wool construction. Three colours are used across the project:

• Main Colour (MC): Sand (colourway 110) — 3 skeins required
• Contrast Colour 1 (CC1): Copper (colourway 108) — 2 skeins required
• Contrast Colour 2 (CC2): Russet (colourway 109) — 1 skein required

The Bloomsbury DK yarn from The Yarn Collective is a merino wool yarn known for its softness, stitch definition, and excellent drape — qualities that make it particularly well suited to shawl construction, where the fabric needs to flow gracefully and hold its blocked shape. The warm, tonal colour selection of Sand, Copper, and Russet creates a cohesive gradient-inspired effect across the chevron stripes.

Needles and Tools

Because of the large stitch count involved in shawl knitting, the pattern requires circular needles used in two sizes:

• 5.5 mm (UK 5 / US 9) circular needles, 80 cm (32 inch) cable length — used for the main body of the shawl
• 4.5 mm (UK 7 / US 7) circular needles, 80 cm (32 inch) cable length — likely used for borders, edging, or sections requiring a tighter tension
• A tapestry needle for weaving in ends and finishing

Using circular needles for a large flat shawl is standard practice in knitting, as the long cable accommodates the high stitch count comfortably without the weight of the project pulling on straight needles.

Techniques and Construction

The Russler Chevron Shawl is rated as an intermediate level pattern, making it suitable for knitters who are comfortable with basic shaping, colourwork stripe sequences, and a range of decrease and increase techniques. The chevron pattern is achieved through a combination of strategic increases and decreases that create the characteristic zigzag or V-shaped lines across the fabric.

Key techniques and stitches used in this pattern include:

• Centred Double Decrease (cdd): Slip 2 stitches together knitwise, knit 1, then pass the slipped stitches over. This decrease removes two stitches at once and creates a neat, centred decrease point — essential for forming the sharp valleys of the chevron pattern.
• Knit Front and Back (kfb): Knitting into both the front and back of a single stitch to create an increase — used to build the peaks of the