Flame on

Flame On Shawl by Brian Smith Designs

Project Overview

Flame On is an intermediate-level knitted shawl designed by Brian Smith Designs. This downloadable PDF pattern creates a striking triangular shawl with a dramatic color combination featuring warm and cool tones. The finished shawl measures 132 centimeters in wingspan with a maximum depth of 68 centimeters, making it a substantial and versatile accessory suitable for layering or wearing as a statement piece.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a triangular shawl constructed using a top-down approach. The shawl grows from a small cast-on edge and expands through strategic increases to create a large, wearable triangle. The design incorporates both solid sections and decorative yarn-forward elements to add visual interest and texture throughout the piece.

Yarn and Materials

The Flame On shawl uses a two-yarn combination for striking visual contrast:

• Qing Merino Singles in shade Promise Ice: 2 skeins form the primary yarn weight of 4-ply, providing a soft merino base
• Ice eyelash yarn in shade Red: 1 ball is worked alongside the merino for textural contrast and color pop

The two yarns are worked together throughout the pattern, creating a unique blended fabric. Additional notions required include a tapestry needle for weaving in ends and a blocking kit for finishing.

Needles and Gauge

Two circular needle sizes are used in this pattern:

• UK 4mm (US 6) circular needle, 120cm length: used for the initial cast-on and early sections
• UK 4.5mm (US 7) circular needle, 120cm length: used as the shawl expands and requires additional needle capacity

The gauge is established at 18 stitches and 32 rows over 10 centimeters when measured in garter stitch on a blocked swatch. Achieving proper gauge is essential for obtaining the finished measurements specified in the pattern.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

The Flame On pattern employs several fundamental and intermediate knitting techniques to construct the shawl:

• Garter Stitch: The primary stitch throughout the shawl, created by knitting every row on both right-side and wrong-side rows, producing a textured, reversible fabric
• Yarn Forward (Yf): Creates decorative eyelet holes and adds visual texture by bringing the yarn to the front of the work
• Slip Stitches: Slip three stitches purlwise (Sl3) and slip one stitch purlwise with yarn at back (Sl1yb) are used to create clean edges and decorative details
• Increases: Multiple increase techniques build the shawl's dimensions, including knit into front and back of next stitch (Kfb) and make one stitch (M1)
• Decreases: Knit two stitches together (K2tog) is used to shape and balance the fabric
• Through-the-Back-Loop Purl: Purl one stitch through the back loop (P1tbl) adds textural variation

Pattern Structure

The shawl is constructed in distinct sections that build upon each other. The pattern begins with a small cast-on of 11 stitches and progresses through multiple sections with increasing stitch counts. Each section contains specific row instructions that incorporate the yarn-forward and slip-stitch details, along with strategic increases that expand the shawl outward. The structured sections allow knitters to track progress and maintain consistency throughout the project.

Finishing and Blocking

Blocking is essential to achieving the finished measurements and revealing the full beauty of the Flame On shawl. After completing all pattern rows, the shawl is blocked to the specified wingspan of 132 centimeters and depth of 68 centimeters. Blocking sets the stitches, opens up the lace details created by yarn-forward elements, and allows the eyelash yarn texture to display properly. A blocking kit is required to pin and shape the shawl during the drying process.

Skill Level

This pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty, making it suitable for knitters with foundational skills who are ready to tackle projects involving multiple techniques and stitch variations. Familiarity with circular needles,