Rocket Shawl in Rowan Creative Linen - ZB298-00016-DE - Downloadable PDF

Rocket Shawl in Rowan Creative Linen – Pattern Summary

The Rocket Shawl is a beautifully elongated knitted shawl designed by Lisa Richardson and published by Rowan. This pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and is rated as an intermediate difficulty project, making it an excellent choice for knitters who are comfortable with basic techniques and ready to explore more textural stitch patterns. The finished shawl is a generous 65.5 cm wide and 200 cm long, creating a dramatic, wearable wrap that drapes elegantly over the shoulders.

Yarn and Materials

The shawl is worked in Rowan Creative Linen, a distinctive DK weight yarn that blends natural linen with other fibres to produce a fabric with beautiful drape, subtle texture, and a relaxed, organic feel. Linen-blend yarns are particularly well suited to shawls and wraps, as they soften with wear and washing while maintaining excellent stitch definition. The pattern sample is photographed in Apple 629, a fresh, natural-toned colourway that highlights the open lacework beautifully.

• Yarn: Rowan Creative Linen
• Yarn Weight: DK
• Quantity Required: 6 x 100 g balls
• Yardage per Ball: 118 metres (loosely cast on)
• Sample Colourway: Apple 629

Needles and Tools

• Needle Size: 4.5 mm straight or circular knitting needles

The use of 4.5 mm needles is slightly larger than might typically be expected for a DK weight yarn, which is intentional — working at a looser tension allows the linen blend to relax and the lace pattern to open up fully, giving the shawl its characteristic airy, flowing quality.

Tension and Gauge

Achieving the correct tension is important for matching the finished dimensions of the shawl. The pattern specifies a gauge of 18 stitches and 25 rows to 10 x 10 cm, measured over the main stitch pattern using 4.5 mm needles. Knitters are encouraged to work a tension swatch before beginning, as the open lace pattern can vary significantly between individual knitters.

Techniques and Construction

The Rocket Shawl is constructed as a straightforward rectangular wrap, knitted lengthwise from one end to the other. The construction method is clean and uncomplicated, with the visual interest coming entirely from the repeating lace stitch pattern worked across the body of the shawl.

Garter Stitch Borders

The shawl begins and ends with 2 rows of garter stitch (knit every row), which creates a neat, stable edge that lies flat without curling. Garter stitch is a classic border technique in shawl knitting, providing a tidy frame for the more decorative central fabric. All stitches are cast off loosely at the end to ensure the bind-off edge retains the same elasticity and drape as the rest of the work.

Main Lace Stitch Pattern

The body of the shawl is worked in a 6-row repeating lace pattern that creates an elegant, open texture. The pattern makes use of the following key techniques:

• Double yarn overs (2 U): Two yarn overs are worked together at regular intervals to create elongated, open eyelets within the fabric. Importantly, the pattern notes that these double yarn overs are counted as a single stitch, with specific instructions given for how they are worked on the following row to maintain the stitch count.
• K2tog (2 Maschen rechts zusammenstricken): Right-leaning decreases are paired with the yarn overs to maintain a consistent stitch count throughout, a hallmark of well-constructed lace knitting. Each decrease compensates for the stitch added by the yarn over, keeping the fabric balanced.
• Knit stitches: The surrounding stitches are worked in plain knit, anchoring the lace motifs and giving the pattern its structured, rhythmic quality.