Danzig

Danzig Shawl by Justyna Lorkowska

What Is Being Made

Danzig is a knitted shawl designed by Justyna Lorkowska, featuring a generous triangular silhouette. The finished shawl measures approximately 200 cm (80 inches) wide along the top edge and 75 cm (30 inches) in height, making it a substantial wrap suitable for layering or draping.

Knitting Techniques

This design showcases the elegant use of short rows, a fundamental shaping technique that allows knitters to create depth and dimension without increasing stitch counts uniformly. Short rows are worked strategically to form contrasting pebbled lines that interrupt the main color sections, creating visual interest and texture throughout the shawl.

The short row technique in Danzig involves wrapping stitches to prevent holes at turning points. Notably, knitters do not need to pick up wraps in Garter stitch as they remain invisible in the finished fabric. For detailed guidance on executing short rows with wraps, the pattern references instructional videos available on knittinghelp.com and a free Craftsy class taught by Carol Feller, both of which provide comprehensive demonstrations of this technique.

Stitches Used

The entire shawl is worked exclusively in Garter stitch, the most fundamental of all knit stitches. Garter stitch is created by knitting every row on both right-side and wrong-side rows, producing a reversible fabric with horizontal ridges. This classic stitch provides an ideal canvas for the short-row pebbled pattern work, as its texture complements the dimensional shaping without competing for visual attention.

Materials and Yarn

Danzig requires 3 skeins of Malabrigo Yarn Mechita, a 100% merino wool yarn with 384 meters (420 yards) per 100-gram skein. This is a 4-ply weight yarn, offering a balance between drape and structure suitable for shawl knitting. The sample shown uses two colorways: MC (Main Color) 036 Pearl (2 skeins) and CC (Contrasting Color) 886 Diana (1 skein). The main color yarn is carried throughout the work and used each time a pebbled row is worked, while the contrasting color is broken and rejoined as needed when the pebbled sections are completed.

Difficulty Level

Danzig is rated as a beginner-friendly project, making it an excellent introduction to shawl knitting and short-row techniques. While short rows may be new to novice knitters, the straightforward Garter stitch base and clear pattern structure provide an accessible learning opportunity for developing this valuable skill.