Snowbird Shawl in Valley Yarns Northampton - 891 - Downloadable PDF

Snowbird Shawl – Knitting Pattern #891 by Julie Turjoman in Valley Yarns Northampton

The Snowbird Shawl (Pattern #891), designed by Julie Turjoman, is a beautifully angled scarf-style shawl worked flat in two colors. Published as a downloadable PDF, this pattern is an ideal beginner-friendly project that delivers impressive, gift-worthy results without requiring advanced knitting skills. The finished piece measures approximately 17 inches wide by 91 inches long at its longest edge, making it a generously sized accessory perfect for wrapping and draping.

What Is Being Made

The Snowbird is an angled scarf or shawl worked in a single size. Its elongated, asymmetrical shape gives it a modern, elegant silhouette. The design is specifically highlighted as a quick holiday gift, meaning the construction is streamlined and satisfying to knit from cast-on to bind-off. The two-color palette — Color A in 17 Red and Color B in 06 Dark Gray — creates a classic, striking contrast that suits the winter season beautifully.

Techniques Used

• Worked flat: The entire shawl is knitted back and forth in rows rather than in the round, making it accessible for knitters who prefer straight or circular needles used as straight needles.
• Slip-stitch colorwork: A simple slip-stitch method is used to introduce the two-color design. Slip-stitch colorwork is one of the most beginner-friendly approaches to working with multiple colors — only one color is ever worked per row, with stitches from the contrasting color simply slipped to create the pattern. No stranding or complex color management is required.
• Angled shaping: The scarf's distinctive diagonal shape is achieved through deliberate increases or decreases worked at regular intervals, giving the piece its characteristic asymmetry.
• Stitch markers: Markers are placed during setup rows to help track pattern sections, keeping the knitting organized and error-free.

Stitches Used

• Garter stitch: The foundational stitch of the Snowbird, garter stitch is created by knitting every row on both right and wrong sides. It produces a squishy, reversible fabric with excellent drape and is one of the simplest stitch patterns in knitting. The gauge for garter stitch in this pattern is 16 stitches and 32 rows to 4 inches, blocked.
• Tweed stitch: A slip-stitch pattern that creates a subtle, textured, tweedy appearance by alternating slipped stitches with knit stitches across rows. The gauge for Tweed stitch is 16 stitches and 20 rows to 4 inches, blocked. This stitch is what carries the two-color slip-stitch colorwork detail throughout the design.

Materials

The pattern calls for Valley Yarns Northampton, a 100% wool worsted-weight yarn available in 100g/247-yard skeins. A total of four skeins are required: one skein in Color A (17 Red) and three skeins in Color B (06 Dark Gray). Valley Yarns Northampton is well regarded for its classic stitch definition, which the pattern notes directly — the yarn's crisp structure shows off the slip-stitch colorwork to particularly great effect, keeping the color motifs sharp and well-defined even in a textured stitch pattern.

The recommended needle is a US 8 (5mm) circular needle, 32 to 40 inches in length, used flat. A circular needle is specified for its ability to accommodate the full width of the shawl comfortably. Additional materials include stitch markers, a tapestry needle for finishing, and an optional pom-pom making tool for a playful embellishment.

Difficulty and Ideal Knitter

Rated as a beginner pattern, the Snowbird Shawl is a wonderful project for newer knitters looking to try their first colorwork, as well as for experienced knitters seeking a fast, low-stress make. The combination of garter stitch and simple slip-stitch colorwork means there are no complex