Compass Shawl in Rowan Brushed Fleece - RTP004-0013-DEP - Downloadable PDF

Compass Shawl in Rowan Brushed Fleece by Martin Storey – Pattern Summary

The Compass Shawl is a beautifully textured, generously sized knitted shawl designed by Martin Storey and published by Rowan. Available as a downloadable PDF, this pattern is rated intermediate in difficulty and produces a finished piece measuring approximately 230 cm x 52 cm — a long, wrap-worthy shawl ideal for layering in cooler seasons. The design is worked flat in rows, making it accessible to knitters who are comfortable with basic lace-style stitch patterns and needle changes.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a large rectangular knitted shawl, wide enough to drape comfortably around the shoulders and long enough to wrap or tie. The generous dimensions make it a versatile accessory suitable for both casual and more polished outfits. The shawl is photographed in Briar 281, a warm, earthy colourway that beautifully showcases the halo and texture of the yarn.

Materials Used

• Yarn: Rowan Brushed Fleece, a chunky weight yarn sold in 50 g balls. The pattern requires 6 balls. Brushed Fleece is a luxuriously soft yarn with a distinctive brushed, halo finish that adds warmth and a cosy, cloud-like texture to the finished fabric.
• Needles: Two sizes of straight or circular knitting needles are used — size 5 mm and size 6 mm. The needle change between sizes is a deliberate design choice to create a neat, firmer border at each end of the shawl while allowing the main body to be worked at a slightly looser gauge.

Tension and Gauge

The stated tension for this pattern is 10 stitches and 16 rows to 10 x 10 cm, measured over the main stitch pattern using size 6 mm needles. As with all knitting projects, achieving the correct tension is essential to ensuring the shawl reaches its intended dimensions. Knitters are encouraged to work a tension swatch before beginning and to adjust needle size as needed.

Techniques and Construction

The Compass Shawl is constructed from the bottom edge upward in a straightforward flat knitting method, worked back and forth in rows. The construction process involves several distinct stages:

• Cast-on and border setup: 52 stitches are cast on using the smaller size 5 mm needles. A series of 8 rows worked as purl (wrong-side) rows creates a neat, reversible garter-style border at the beginning of the shawl. During the final row of this border section, stitches are evenly increased to bring the count to 56 stitches before transitioning to the main body.
• Needle change: After the border, the knitter switches to the larger size 6 mm needles to work the main stitch pattern. This technique of using a smaller needle for borders and a larger needle for the body is a classic method for achieving neat edges with a more open, drapey centre fabric.
• Main body: The main section is repeated across the full length of the shawl until approximately 226.5 cm have been worked, ending on a right-side row.
• Closing border: Stitches are evenly decreased back to 52 stitches, the needles are changed back to the smaller size 5 mm, and the same 8-row purl border is repeated to mirror the cast-on edge before casting off.

Stitches Used

The Compass Shawl uses a simple but effective four-row lace-style stitch repeat that creates an elegant, open texture across the body of the shawl. The stitches and techniques involved include:

• Knit stitch (right side rows) — used as the foundation of the pattern rows
• Purl stitch (wrong side rows) — used for all even rows in the main pattern and for the garter-style border sections
• K2tog (kn