Catalan Shawlette in Juniper Moon Farm Zooey - J36-03 - Downloadable PDF

Catalan Shawlette in Juniper Moon Farm Zooey – Pattern Summary

The Catalan Shawlette is a beautifully structured, lightweight knitted shawl designed by Tabetha Hedrick and worked in Juniper Moon Farm Zooey yarn. This elegant accessory blends a distinctive textured stitch pattern with a graceful triangular silhouette, making it a rewarding project for intermediate knitters looking to expand their repertoire of shawl construction techniques.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a shallow triangular shawlette — sometimes called a crescent or half-moon style wrap — with a finished wingspan of 59¼ inches (150.5 cm) and a depth of 21 inches (53 cm). The finished piece is generously sized for draping around the shoulders or wearing as a cozy neck wrap. A decorative picot-style bind-off border adds a delicate, finished edge along the bottom of the shawl.

Construction Technique

One of the most interesting aspects of this design is its sideways construction. Rather than being worked from the top down or from a center point outward, the shawlette is knitted from one pointed end to the other, with strategic increases and decreases shaping the shallow triangle as the work progresses. This sideways approach means the stitch pattern runs horizontally across the body of the shawl, creating a striking visual effect when worn.

The shawl begins with a simple cast-on of just 4 stitches and grows through a charted increase section before decreasing back down to 4 stitches at the opposite tip. The pattern is charted only, so knitters should be comfortable reading knitting charts. After the main body is complete, stitches are picked up along the bottom edge to work a decorative border.

Stitches and Techniques Used

• Catalan Stitch – The signature stitch of this pattern, worked over a multiple of 10 stitches across an 8-row repeat. It combines knit and purl stitches with yarn overs and double decreases to create a richly textured, almost lace-like fabric with strong geometric lines.
• s2kp (Slip 2 knitwise, knit 1, pass slipped stitches over) – A central double decrease that forms the sharp, defined lines characteristic of the Catalan stitch pattern.
• yo (Yarn over) – Used in combination with the double decreases to maintain stitch count within the pattern repeat and to create the open, airy quality of the stitch.
• kfb (Knit into the front and back) – Used in the early setup rows to begin shaping the triangular form.
• k2tog and p2tog – Standard right-leaning decreases used in shaping sections.
• Picot border – Worked along the bottom edge after picking up 201 stitches, this decorative bind-off creates a series of small loops or points that give the shawlette a refined, finished appearance. The technique involves repeatedly slipping stitches back to the left-hand needle, casting on, and binding off in a specific sequence.
• Picking up stitches – Knitters pick up and knit stitches evenly across the bottom edge of the completed shawl body to work the border seamlessly.
• Chart reading – Both Chart A and Chart B are used to guide the increase and decrease shaping sections; the pattern specifies working certain chart rows multiple times to build the full wingspan.

Stitch Pattern Detail: Catalan Stitch

The Catalan stitch is an 8-row repeat worked over multiples of 10 stitches. It alternates between rows that feature knit stitches, yarn overs, and central double decreases on the right side, and rows that establish a purl and knit texture on the wrong side. The interplay of these elements produces a fabric with elegant diagonal lines and a subtle openwork quality — structured enough to hold its shape beautifully when blocked, yet light and drapey in wear. This stitch is well-suited to the smooth, slightly lustrous character of the chosen yarn.

Materials

• Yarn: Juniper Moon Farm Zooey in color #25 Twilight Blue