Esther

Esther Shawl by Zsuzsa Kiss

What is Being Made

The Esther is a knitted shawl designed by Zsuzsa Kiss, featuring a distinctive three-color construction that creates visual interest through strategic yarn placement. This downloadable PDF pattern produces a generous triangular shawl with a wingspan of 51 inches (130 centimeters) at the top and a height of 18 inches (45 centimeters) in the middle, making it a versatile accessory suitable for layering or wearing as a wrap.

Techniques and Construction

The Esther shawl employs a three-color construction method that allows knitters to experiment with color blocking and yarn combinations. The pattern demonstrates intermediate-level knitting skill, making it accessible to experienced knitters looking to expand their shawl-making repertoire. The design encourages creative yarn selection and texture play, allowing knitters to customize their finished piece based on personal preferences and available materials.

Stitches Used

The pattern utilizes stockinette stitch as the primary stitch structure, worked at a gauge of 22 stitches by 40 rows over 4 inches (10 centimeters) in stockinette stitch pattern. This straightforward stitch choice makes the pattern approachable while allowing the yarn colors and textures to become the focal point of the finished shawl.

Yarn and Materials

The Esther shawl is designed to work with sport, fingering, or light fingering weight yarn in three separate colors. The sample shown uses:

• C1: By-buci 100% Merino (590 yards per 100 grams) in red, requiring 150 yards (135 meters)
• C2: By-buci 100% Merino (590 yards per 100 grams) in orange, requiring 154 yards (140 meters)
• C3: Rial Filati Baby Supremo hand-dyed yarn (218 yards per 50 grams) in orange, requiring 280 yards (256 meters)

For color selection, the pattern recommends using solid, semi-solid, or long color-changing yarns for C1 and C2, while C3 should be a solid or semi-solid yarn to maintain visual clarity in the design. Knitters are encouraged to experiment with texture and yarn characteristics to achieve personalized effects.

Tools and Notions

Construction requires a US 4 (3.5 millimeter) circular needle measuring 32 inches (80 centimeters) long, along with essential notions including a tapestry needle for weaving in ends, stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats, and a gauge swatch tool. While achieving precise gauge is recommended for best results, the pattern notes that exact gauge is not absolutely essential for this particular project, offering flexibility for knitters who prefer a slightly different fabric density.