Indian Summer

Indian Summer Shawl by Eeva Kesäkuu

Project Overview

Indian Summer is an intermediate-level knitted shawl designed by Eeva Kesäkuu. This downloadable PDF pattern creates a triangular shawl worked from the neck down, featuring a warm color palette inspired by sunny days meant to brighten dark winter evenings. The designer was inspired by the name "Indian Summer" suggested by her husband when observing the work-in-progress shawl, making it an ideal accessory for seasonal transition periods.

Construction Method

The shawl is knitted from the neck downward in a top-down construction. The pattern features three edge stitches on each side worked consistently in knit stitch throughout, creating clean, finished edges. Increases are strategically placed along the edges and at the center of the shawl to create the triangular silhouette characteristic of this style.

Stitch Techniques

• Edge stitches: Three edge stitches on each side, worked in knit stitch on every row for a neat selvage
• Increases: Four stitches increased every other row along the edges and center, creating gradual shaping (alternative option available for six-stitch increases every other row)
• Striping: The shawl is constructed in three separate color sections, with detailed instructions provided for working each striped layer
• Blocking: The top edge is straightened through wet blocking and pinning to achieve a refined finish

Materials and Specifications

Yarn: Wollmeise "Pure" 100% Merino Superwash (526 meters per 150 grams). Main color requires 140 grams; contrast color requires 90 grams.

Gauge: 24 stitches per 10 centimeters on unstretched fabric. The pattern notes that gauge is not critically important for this design.

Needles and Tools: 3.5mm knitting needles, 3.5mm crochet hooks, waste yarn for stitch markers, and stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats.

Pattern Structure

The PDF includes comprehensive instructions beginning with an explanation of how to work each color layer, followed by specific stitch counts for each colored section. The pattern accommodates customization through adjustable increase rates, allowing knitters to modify the shawl's final dimensions while maintaining the overall design aesthetic.