The City Shawl in Rowan Alpaca Classic (De) - Downloadable PDF

The City Shawl by Georgia Farrell – Rowan Alpaca Classic Knitting Pattern (Downloadable PDF)

The City Shawl is a beautifully structured, large-format knitted shawl designed by Georgia Farrell and published by Rowan. Available as a downloadable PDF, this pattern is rated advanced in difficulty and is worked in DK weight yarn using Rowan Alpaca Classic. The finished shawl measures an impressive 182 cm along the long edge and 83 cm at its widest point, making it a generous, wearable accessory suitable for layering over both casual and city-inspired outfits — a quality that clearly inspired its name.

Design Overview

The pattern offers two distinct colourway versions: a four-colour version and a two-colour version, each using different shades from the Rowan Alpaca Classic range. Both versions follow the same construction and stitch architecture, but the colour combinations give each a very different character. The shawl is worked from a small cast-on and gradually increases outward, building its triangular shape through consistent paired increases on every right-side row.

Four-Colour Version

The four-colour version uses the following shades of Rowan Alpaca Classic:

• Colour A – Willow 112: 1 x 25g ball
• Colour B – Feather Grey Melange 101: 2 x 25g balls
• Colour C – Hyacinth 129: 3 x 25g balls
• Colour D – Green Moss 111: 3 x 25g balls

This version creates a subtle, nature-inspired palette that transitions through soft greens, muted greys, and gentle purples, giving the finished shawl an organic, sophisticated feel.

Two-Colour Version

The two-colour version uses a bolder, more graphic contrast:

• Colour A – Deep Teal 109: 4 x 25g balls
• Colour B – Ice Blue 131: 6 x 25g balls

The deeper teal ground paired with the lighter ice blue creates a striking tonal contrast that emphasises the textural stitch patterns running through the body of the shawl.

Construction and Shaping

The City Shawl is constructed using a top-down triangular shaping method, beginning with just a small number of cast-on stitches and growing outward through paired increases on every right-side (RS) row. A marker is placed at the centre of the work to separate the two halves of the shawl, and increases are worked on both sides of this central marker as well as at the outer edges. This creates the characteristic triangular silhouette with a defined centre spine — a classic construction method for triangular shawls that gives excellent drape and symmetry.

The shaping uses both right-leaning increases (ReZun) and left-leaning increases (LiZun) — the German knitting terminology used throughout this German-language edition of the pattern — placed strategically to ensure the increases lie neatly along the shawl's lines. The marker is slipped on every row to maintain the central axis of the design.

Stitch Patterns and Techniques

The City Shawl combines more than one stitch texture, creating visual interest across its surface as the work grows. The main techniques and stitches used include:

• Garter stitch (kraus rechts): The shawl begins and includes substantial sections worked entirely in garter stitch — knitting every row — which creates a firm, ridged fabric with excellent body. Garter stitch is also used throughout as a selvedge border, with 2 stitches at each edge worked in garter stitch to keep the edges tidy and prevent curling.
• Textured stripe pattern (Musterstreifen): After the initial garter stitch section, the pattern introduces a textured stripe sequence that incorporates both knit stitches and purl stitches