Pucallpa Shawl in Rowan Alpaca Classic - Downloadable PDF

Pucallpa Shawl in Rowan Alpaca Classic – Pattern Summary

The Pucallpa Shawl is a beautifully elegant knitted wrap designed by Lisa Richardson and published by Rowan. Available as a downloadable PDF, this pattern produces a long, generously sized rectangular wrap finished with a delicate picot cast-off edge. It is rated as advanced beginner level, making it an ideal project for knitters who have mastered the basics and are ready to explore simple lace patterning in a rhythmic, satisfying repeat.

What Is Being Made

The finished Pucallpa Shawl is a rectangular wrap measuring 60 cm (23½ in) wide and 200 cm (approximately 79 in) long. Its generous dimensions make it truly versatile — it can be worn draped over the shoulders as a classic shawl, wrapped around the neck as a cosy scarf, or styled as an elegant evening wrap. The design is photographed in Snowflake White 115, which beautifully showcases the delicate lace texture running along its length.

Techniques Used

• Lace knitting: The body of the wrap is worked in a 12-row lace repeat that creates a flowing, open texture. The pattern alternates between two directional lace sequences, giving the fabric a subtle chevron-like movement.
• Garter stitch selvedge: Each right-side and wrong-side row begins and ends with a knit stitch, creating a neat, stable garter stitch border along both long edges of the wrap.
• Picot cast-off: The wrap is finished with a decorative picot cast-off, a technique where stitches are slipped back to the left needle and additional stitches are cast on before casting off, creating a pretty, looped edging. Specifically, one stitch is cast off, the remaining stitch is slipped back, two stitches are cast on, and then four stitches are cast off — this sequence is repeated across all stitches to form the picot points.
• Yarn-forward increases and paired decreases: The lace pattern is built using yarn-forward (yfwd) movements paired with sl 1, K1, psso and K2tog decreases, maintaining a consistent stitch count throughout while creating the characteristic eyelet holes of the design.

Stitches Used

• Knit (K) – the foundation stitch used throughout
• Purl (P) – used on wrong-side rows to create a smooth stocking stitch ground within the lace repeat
• Yarn forward (yfwd) – creates the lace eyelets that define the pattern's open texture
• Slip 1, K1, pass slipped stitch over (sl 1, K1, psso) – a left-leaning decrease paired with the yarn-forward
• Knit 2 together (K2tog) – a right-leaning decrease used in the alternating lace rows
• Picot cast-off stitches – a combination of casting on and casting off to form decorative loops at the bind-off edge

The Lace Pattern in Detail

The 12-row lace repeat is straightforward and highly rhythmic, making it easy to memorise after just a few repeats. Rows 1 through 6 feature the sl 1, K1, psso decrease paired with a yfwd, leaning the lace to the left. Rows 7 through 12 reverse the direction, using K2tog with a yfwd to lean the lace to the right. Wrong-side rows are worked as simple purl rows with garter selvedge stitches, providing a restful rhythm between the lace rows. This alternating structure gives the finished fabric a gentle, undulating quality that is both visually interesting and pleasurable to knit.

Materials

• Yarn: Rowan Alpaca Classic, a DK weight yarn, in 11 x 25 gm balls. The pattern