Hillsborough Shawl

Hillsborough Castle and Gardens date back to the 1750’s. Built by the 1st Marquess of Downshire, it is a grand Georgian estate. In 1925, it was sold to the British Government and is the royal residence in Northern Ireland. It was only in 2019 that the castle and gardens were opened to the public. It was a visit to the gardens that inspired the name of this shawl. My knitting was tucked away in my bag and as I turned a corner I was met by the lush planting of the gardens, the colours echoing what I was working with.

The shawl is an asymmetrical triangle knit on the bias, in garter stitch featuring a pretty slip stitch yarn over pattern. This design is perfect for using a main colour accompanied by a mini skein set or leftovers and is reversible with the “wrong” side looking just as good as the “right” side. The pattern has written instruction with stitch counts. There is a chart for the stitch pattern.

Gauge: 24 sts x 32 rows per 4 inches (10 cm) in stocking stitch using 4 mm (US 6)