Odora Shawl in Berroco Folio - Downloadable PDF

Odora Shawl in Berroco Folio — Knitting Pattern Summary

The Odora Shawl is a beautifully crafted knitted shawl designed by Emily Nora O'Neil and published by Berroco. Available as a downloadable PDF, this pattern is rated Intermediate in difficulty and produces a single, generous one-size shawl with finished blocked dimensions of approximately 86 inches across the top edge and 33 inches down the center. The result is a sweeping, elegant wrap that works beautifully as a lightweight accessory for layering across the shoulders or draping around the neck.

What Is Being Made

The Odora Shawl is a large, top-down triangular shawl worked flat on a circular needle. Its generous proportions make it a true statement piece — substantial enough to wrap and wear as a shawl or light wrap. The design is worked in a single size and is intended to be blocked to achieve its full, open dimensions. Blocking is an essential finishing step for this project, as it opens up the lace patterning and spreads the shawl to its intended measurements.

Materials Used

• Yarn: 4 balls of Berroco Folio (50 grams each), in colorway #4540 Pebble. Berroco Folio is a DK weight yarn, making this shawl light and drapey while still providing enough stitch definition for the charted lace sections.
• Needles: A 29-inch circular knitting needle, size 8 (5.00 mm), or the size needed to obtain gauge. The circular needle is used to accommodate the large number of stitches as the shawl grows, though the piece is worked flat (back and forth in rows).
• Notions: 3 stitch markers, a tapestry needle for finishing, and a provisional cast-on method (requiring waste yarn or a crochet hook).

Gauge

The pattern calls for a gauge of 16 stitches and 32 rows over 4 inches in Garter Stitch. As with all knitting projects — and especially lace shawls — checking gauge before beginning is strongly recommended to ensure the finished dimensions are accurate.

Techniques Used

• Provisional Cast-On: The shawl begins with a provisional cast-on of 3 stitches, which is later unraveled to pick up live stitches. This technique creates a seamless, tidy beginning at the top center of the shawl.
• Garter Stitch Tab Start: A classic shawl construction technique in which a small rectangular tab is worked first in Garter Stitch, then stitches are picked up along its edges to establish the three sections of the shawl. This creates a neat, polished starting point at the apex of the triangle.
• Top-Down Triangular Shawl Construction: The shawl is built outward from the center top, with increases worked regularly to shape the triangle. Stitch markers are used to separate the three panels throughout.
• Working from Charts: Two separate charts — Chart 1 and Chart 2 — guide the lace and stitch patterning. Chart 1 is worked over 52 rows, growing the stitch count from the initial setup to 120 stitches. Chart 2 is then worked in two passes, with a bracketed repeat section worked 3 times in the first pass and 7 times in the second pass, followed by a final partial repeat of Rows 1–12.
• Stitch Marker Management: Three markers are placed and slipped throughout to keep the three panels of the shawl clearly delineated as the pattern progresses.
• Blocking: Wet or steam blocking is implied as a finishing step, essential for achieving the full 86-inch width and opening up any lace elements in the charted sections.

Stitches Used

• Garter Stitch: The foundational stitch of the shawl, used for the tab, the border edges (3-stitch selvedges on each side), and as the base texture throughout. Garter Stitch is created by knitting every row when working