Daphne

Daphne Knit Shawl by Stefanie Bold

What Is Being Made

Daphne is a versatile knit shawl pattern designed by Stefanie Bold. This pattern offers exceptional flexibility, allowing crafters to create a shawl in virtually any size and finished dimensions by adjusting yarn weight, needle size, and gauge according to personal preference. The design accommodates a wide range of yarn choices, making it an adaptable project suitable for stash-busting or using favorite yarns on hand.

Craft and Technique Overview

This is a knitting project classified as beginner-friendly, making it an excellent introduction to shawl construction for newer knitters. The pattern demonstrates fundamental knitting principles while incorporating decorative stitch techniques that add visual interest without requiring advanced skills. The flexibility of the design means knitters can work at their own pace and adjust complexity based on their comfort level with cable work.

Stitches Used

• Knit (k) – the fundamental knit stitch forming the base fabric
• Purl (p) – reverse knit stitch creating textured contrast
• Yarn Over (YO) – creates decorative eyelet holes and increases stitches for shaping
• Knit Through Back Loop (kbl) – twisted knit stitch adding subtle texture variation
• Purl Through Back Loop (pbl) – twisted purl stitch for textured details
• Pick Up (p+) – specialized technique picking up loops from the previous row to create connected stitch patterns
• Cable Left and Cable Right – decorative crossing stitches that twist yarn strands over each other, creating rope-like textured columns in the fabric

Cable Techniques

The pattern includes detailed instructions for two cable variations. Cable Left involves placing three stitches on a cable needle, holding it to the front, knitting the next three stitches, then knitting the held stitches. Cable Right reverses this process by holding the cable needle to the back. For advanced knitters, the pattern offers an optional technique to work cables without a cable needle by manipulating stitches directly on the needles, demonstrating an alternative method for creating cable twists.

Materials Required

• Yarn: Any yarn weight works with this pattern, including 3-ply, 4-ply, and sport weight options. The flexibility means crafters can choose based on desired finished size and drape
• Needles: Any needle size appropriate to the chosen yarn and desired gauge
• Stitch Markers: Four stitch markers required for tracking pattern repeats and shaping sections
• Cable Needle: Needed for traditional cable techniques, though the pattern provides instructions for cable-free alternatives
• Waste Yarn: Included in materials for provisional cast-on or stitch holding techniques

Pattern Structure

The pattern uses standard knitting abbreviations and includes repeat notations indicated by asterisks (*…*) and multiplication symbols (…)x2 to show how many times sections should be worked. Stitch markers (M) and slip marker instructions (SlM) guide placement and tracking throughout the project. The notation system allows knitters to follow the construction logically while maintaining pattern consistency across rows.

Daphne is offered as a free downloadable PDF pattern, making it accessible for knitters seeking a customizable shawl project with cable detail options.