Ruvene

Ruvene Knit Shawl by Melanie Berg

What Is Being Made

Ruvene is a long and cozy wrap shawl with a rectangular shape, designed for versatile wearability. This knit shawl functions as a convertible accessory that can be worn and styled in countless different ways, making it a practical addition to any wardrobe.

Construction and Design

The shawl is knit bottom-up using a thoughtful structural design. Ruvene features nine small cables arranged in increasing distances across the width of the piece. The areas between these cables are worked in plain stockinette stitch, creating a balanced visual contrast. Each cable is surrounded by one purled stitch on each side to enhance their visibility and definition. The first stitch of each row is slipped to create a neat, finished border.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

This intermediate-level project employs several key knitting techniques:

• Cable Work Without Cable Needle: The cables in Ruvene are knit without using a traditional cable needle, simplifying the construction process. A special mini cable stitch is performed every fourth row.
• Mini Cable Stitch (mc): This signature stitch is executed by purling one stitch, then working a knit two together without dropping the stitches off the left-hand needle, followed by knitting the first stitch again. This technique creates the cable effect without additional tools.
• Stockinette Stitch: Plain stockinette fills the spaces between cables, providing a smooth, classic knit fabric base.
• Slipped Stitch Edges: Slipping the first stitch of each row creates a professional, polished border finish.

Materials

Yarn: Ruvene is knit using 8 skeins of Knit Picks Capra Cashmere, a luxury blend yarn composed of 85% Merino and 15% Cashmere. Each skein contains 50 grams and 123 yards (112 meters). This DK weight yarn is described as very soft and wonderful, providing comfort and elegance to the finished wrap.

Needles: The pattern calls for 4.0 mm (US 6) circular needles to accommodate the rectangular shawl construction.