Ginkgo Stole

Ginkgo Stole by yellowcosmo

What Is Being Made

The Ginkgo Stole is an elegant, lightweight shawl designed by Connie Peng of yellowcosmo designs. This stole measures 72.5 inches wide by 15 inches tall (184.2 cm x 38.1 cm), making it a generous accessory suitable for draping across the shoulders or wearing as a decorative wrap. The design features a distinctive botanical theme with ginkgo leaf motifs incorporated throughout the piece.

Construction and Design Technique

The Ginkgo Stole is knitted on the bias, a construction method that creates diagonal lines across the fabric and allows for elegant shaping and drape. The pattern is divided into multiple sections, with the stole beginning from section A and progressing through additional sections. The ginkgo leaves are created using short rows, a technique that builds dimension and texture by working back and forth over a subset of stitches to form three-dimensional leaf shapes. This method adds visual interest and botanical authenticity to the design.

The stole incorporates two yarn colors: Yarn A is used throughout most of the pattern, while Yarn B is reserved specifically for sections C and E, creating color contrast and highlighting particular design elements.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Ginkgo Stole employs fundamental knitting stitches combined with decorative techniques:

• Stockinette stitch – the primary fabric base, created by alternating knit and purl rows
• Eyelet stitches – small decorative holes that create an open, lacy appearance throughout the stole
• Increase stitches – including M1L (Make 1 Left), used to shape the bias construction and create the expanding width of the stole
• Short rows – employed to form the three-dimensional ginkgo leaf inserts

Yarn and Materials

The Ginkgo Stole is designed for lace weight yarn, the finest standard yarn category. The sample was knitted using Dream In Color Baby yarn, requiring 630 yards of Yarn A and 50 yards of Yarn B. Lace weight yarn creates an airy, delicate fabric ideal for shawls and wraps.

The pattern calls for US #5 (3.75mm) needles. The recommended gauge is 16 stitches by 28 rows over 4 inches by 4 inches (10 cm x 10 cm) in stockinette stitch after blocking, which is typical for lace weight projects and ensures the proper drape and finished dimensions.

Skill Level

This design is rated as intermediate difficulty, making it suitable for knitters with some experience. The combination of bias construction, eyelet patterns, and short-row shaping requires familiarity with these techniques, though the pattern provides clear instructions and abbreviations to guide the knitter through each section.