Product Description
The Keeper shawl is knit from the bottom up starting with the lace edging and continuing through into the body of the shawl. Single side decreases and a centre double decrease create a triangular shaped shawl which is eventually grafted at the top to join together the left and right sides of the garter stitch band.
Pattern calls for 3 skeins of Skein Himalaya DK or another DK weight yarn of similar yardage.
This pattern uses chart instructions only for the lace sections.
Measurements after blocking - width 140cm (55"), length 75cm (29.5")
The Keeper Shawl by Kristen Finlay
What is Being Made
The Keeper is an intermediate-level knitted shawl designed by Kristen Finlay. This downloadable PDF pattern creates a finished shawl measuring 140cm (55 inches) in width and 75cm (29.5 inches) in length after blocking, making it a generous wrap suitable for layering or draping.
Knitting Techniques Used
The Keeper employs several fundamental knitting techniques to create its structured design. The pattern utilizes charted colorwork or stitch patterns that are read directionally—from right to left on right-side rows and left to right on wrong-side rows. The shawl features a symmetrical construction, with both sides of the shawl mirroring each other around a center stitch, creating balanced visual interest across the entire piece.
The pattern incorporates garter-stitch edging along the first and last sections of each row, providing a neat, textured border that frames the main pattern sections. Chart repeats are clearly outlined in the pattern to help knitters identify and execute the repeating stitch sequences accurately throughout the project.
Stitches and Abbreviations
The Keeper uses basic knitting stitches including:
- Knit (k) – the fundamental knit stitch
- Purl (p) – the reverse knit stitch
- Garter stitch – created by knitting every row, forming the textured edging
The pattern notation includes standard abbreviations: RS (Right-Side of work), WS (Wrong-Side of work), CO (Cast On), PM (Place Marker), SM (Slip Marker), and st/s (stitch/stitches). Shaded squares in the charts indicate areas where no stitch is worked, helping knitters navigate the pattern structure clearly.
Materials and Tools Required
The Keeper is designed to be knitted in DK weight yarn. The pattern recommends Himalaya DK yarn—a luxurious blend of 80% Merino and 20% Cashmere—though any DK weight yarn of similar yardage and fiber content will work. Knitters will need 3 skeins of yarn, with each skein containing 256 meters (280 yards) in 100g.
Essential tools include 4.5mm (US 7) knitting needles sized appropriately for the DK weight yarn. Additional materials needed for completion are two stitch markers plus a removable stitch marker for tracking pattern sections, blocking pins and wires for shaping the finished shawl, and a blunt tapestry needle for grafting seams and weaving in yarn ends neatly.
```Specifications
| Brand: | Independent Designer |
| Yarn Weight: | DK |
| Designer: | Kristen Finlay |
| Craft: | Knitting |
| Format: | Downloadable PDF |
| Languages: | English |
| Number of Patterns: | 1 |
| Skill Level: | Intermediate |
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