Gentle Hug

Gentle Hug Knitted Shawl by Melanie Berg

What is Being Made

Gentle Hug is a knitted shawl designed by Melanie Berg as a wearable comfort piece. This intermediate-level knitting project creates a soft, huggable shawl that invites you to wrap it around your shoulders for warmth and comfort. The design is inspired by moments of simple solace, making it an ideal gift or personal project for anyone seeking a cozy, touchable garment.

Yarn and Materials

This shawl is designed to be made with Kettle Yarn Co. Northiam DK, a 100% Blue Faced Leicester yarn in the DK weight category. The sample uses two colorways: 2 skeins in "Caspian" (Color A) and 2 skeins in "Amber" (Color B). The total yardage required is approximately 221 yards (202 meters) for Color A and 241 yards (202 meters) for Color B, making this a relatively yarn-efficient project. The Blue Faced Leicester fiber is celebrated for its softness, which is a key feature of this design—the shawl's tactile quality encourages cuddling and wearing.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

The Gentle Hug shawl employs fundamental knitting increases and stitch techniques appropriate for intermediate knitters. The pattern utilizes the following stitches and techniques:

• Knit and Purl Stitches (k / p) – The foundational stitches that form the fabric of the shawl
• Kfb (Knit Front and Back) – An increase stitch that creates one additional stitch by working into both the front and back of a single stitch
• M1L (Make One Left) – A left-leaning increase worked by inserting the left needle from front to back under the horizontal strand between stitches just worked and the next stitch, then knitting the lifted strand through the back loop

These techniques allow knitters to shape the shawl while maintaining an even fabric. The combination of increases creates the shawl's structure and ensures it drapes beautifully when worn.

Difficulty Level

This project is rated as intermediate difficulty, making it suitable for knitters who have mastered basic stitches and are ready to work with shaping techniques. The increase methods used are straightforward, and the pattern provides clear guidance for executing them correctly.