Farfalla

Farfalla Scarves and Shawls by Christiane Burkhard

What Is Being Made

Farfalla is a collection of knitted scarves and shawls designed by Christiane Burkhard. This downloadable PDF pattern provides instructions for creating elegant neckwear and wrap pieces using traditional knitting techniques. The designs are suitable for intermediate-level knitters who have foundational skills and are ready to work with more complex stitch patterns and color work.

Craft and Primary Technique

This project is executed entirely through knitting, the primary craft method. Knitting involves using two needles to create interlocking loops of yarn in horizontal rows, building fabric from the bottom up. The Farfalla patterns employ classic hand-knitting techniques that allow crafters to produce wearable accessories with depth, drape, and visual interest.

Stitches and Techniques Used

The Farfalla pattern incorporates a variety of essential knitting stitches and techniques to create texture and shaping:

• Knit (K) and Purl (P) stitches: The foundational stitches that form the base of all knitted fabric
• Yarn overs (YO): Creating new stitches by wrapping yarn around the needle, often used to produce decorative eyelet holes and lace effects
• Increases: Knit front and back (kfb) and Make 1 (M1) techniques expand stitch counts to shape the garment, with M1 involving lifting the strand between needles from front to back and knitting through the back loop to twist the stitch
• Decreases: K2tog (knit 2 stitches together), K2tog tbl (knit 2 together through the back loop), SSK (slip, slip, knit), and DD (double decrease) reduce stitch counts for shaping and creating visual definition
• Slip stitches (Sl): Moving stitches from one needle to another as if to purl with yarn held in front, used for edge finishing and pattern transitions
• Marker placement: Using stitch markers (pm, slm, rem m) to track pattern repeats and construction sections throughout the piece

Color Work

The Farfalla design incorporates two-color knitting, utilizing a main color (Col1) and a contrasting color (Col2). This color work adds visual complexity and allows knitters to create patterns with depth and dimension within their scarves and shawls.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

Farfalla patterns call for 4-ply yarn weight, a medium-weight yarn that offers versatility in drape and stitch definition. The 4-ply weight is ideal for creating scarves and shawls with good body and visual clarity of stitch patterns. Knitters will need appropriately sized knitting needles suitable for 4-ply yarn, allowing them to achieve the correct gauge and fabric characteristics specified in the pattern instructions.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty, making it appropriate for knitters with prior experience who are comfortable reading pattern abbreviations, working with multiple techniques in a single project, and managing color changes. The combination of increases, decreases, yarn overs, and two-color work requires solid foundational skills and attention to pattern details.

Pattern Format and Usage

Farfalla is provided as a downloadable PDF, making it immediately accessible for digital viewing and printing. The pattern is designed for personal, non-commercial use, allowing crafters to create finished items for themselves, as gifts, and for charitable purposes. The copyright is held by Christiane Burkhard, dated 2012.