Murlo Shawl

Murlo Shawl by Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton

What is Being Made

The Murlo Shawl is a rectangular knitted shawl designed as a one-size accessory measuring approximately 38 cm (15 inches) in width and 150 cm (59 inches) in length. This intermediate-level knitting project creates a sophisticated wrap suitable for layering and everyday wear.

Design and Construction Technique

This shawl showcases the designer's proprietary DropStitch Openwork™ Checkerboard pattern, a distinctive technique that creates striking visual openings throughout the fabric. A key advantage of this technique is that knitters do not need to break the yarn when working the openings in the pattern. Instead, the yarn is invisibly carried up the side of columns between triangular sections, maintaining crisp edges and a polished appearance in the openwork areas.

The construction involves working in distinct columns: the first column establishes 5 stitches worked for 10 rows, followed by a backwards loop cast-on to add 6 additional stitches. Inside columns are then worked with 5 stitches at a time, knitting 2 rows per section. This methodical column-by-column approach allows for controlled shaping and consistent pattern development.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques

• DropStitch Openwork™ Checkerboard pattern (proprietary technique)
• Knit stitch
• Backwards loop cast-on method
• Column-based construction with strategic yarn carrying

Materials and Gauge

The Murlo Shawl is worked in Aran weight yarn, requiring four 100-gram skeins of Toscana from Deramores in the colorway Sunflowers (#1578), with each skein providing 175 yards (160 meters) of yardage. The project is worked on 4.5 mm (US 7) needles and achieves a gauge of approximately 18 stitches and 24 rows over 10 centimeters (4 inches) when worked in the DropStitch Openwork™ Checkerboard pattern.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty, making it suitable for knitters with foundational skills who are ready to explore more complex stitch patterns and specialized techniques like the DropStitch Openwork™ method.