Bright Burst Shawl in Cascade 220® Fingering - FW293 - Downloadable PDF

Bright Burst Shawl in Cascade 220® Fingering – Pattern Summary (FW293)

About This Design

The Bright Burst Shawl is a knitted shawl pattern designed by Laurie Beardsley and published by Cascade Yarns. It is available as a free downloadable PDF (pattern number FW293). The finished shawl measures an impressive 67 inches (170 cm) wingspan by 26 inches (66 cm) deep, making it a generously sized accessory suitable for wrapping around the shoulders or wearing as a decorative wrap. The design is rated Intermediate in skill level, making it an excellent next step for knitters who have moved beyond the basics and are ready to explore lace and shaping techniques.

Construction and Techniques

The Bright Burst Shawl is worked top-down and seamlessly, meaning there is no finishing seam required — the shawl grows from a central starting point at the top edge outward toward the deep, sweeping hem. This top-down construction allows knitters to easily adjust the size of the finished piece as they go. The pattern incorporates lace patterning, which creates an open, airy texture with decorative eyelets and geometric motifs that catch the light beautifully. Stripes are also a key design element, with the four contrasting colors working together to produce the bold, energetic "burst" effect referenced in the shawl's name.

Stitches and Techniques Used

• Lace knitting — openwork stitch patterns formed through yarn-overs and decreases, creating a delicate, decorative fabric
• Top-down seamless construction — the shawl is cast on at the spine and shaped outward, eliminating the need for seaming
• Stripes — color changes are worked across rows to create bold horizontal or angled stripe sequences using all four yarn colors
• S2KP2 (centered double decrease) — two stitches are slipped as if to knit two together, one stitch is knitted, and the two slipped stitches are passed over; this creates a neat, symmetrical decrease central to the lace shaping
• K2tog (knit two together) — a standard right-leaning decrease used in shaping and lace construction
• SSK (slip, slip, knit) — a left-leaning decrease that mirrors K2tog, commonly paired with it in lace patterns for balanced shaping
• Bind off (BO) — used to finish the hem edge of the shawl cleanly

Materials – Yarn

The pattern calls for Cascade Yarns® Cascade 220 Fingering, a 100% Peruvian Highland Wool yarn that comes in 50 g (1.75 oz) skeins with approximately 273 yards (250 m) per skein. Despite the product attributes listing this as a sport weight, the yarn used in this pattern is specifically the fingering weight version of the Cascade 220 line. Four individual skeins are required, one in each of the following colorways:

• 1026 – Sunflower (C1) — a warm, bright yellow
• 9620 – Castor Grey (C2) — a cool, neutral grey
• 1022 – Georgia Peach (C3) — a soft, warm peach tone
• 1021 – Poppy Red (C4) — a vivid, bold red

Together, these four colors create the lively, sunburst-inspired palette that gives this shawl its striking visual appeal. Cascade 220 Fingering is well regarded for its stitch definition, durability, and wide color range, making it an ideal choice for lace work where clarity of pattern is important.

Needles and Notions

The pattern recommends US 6 (4 mm) knitting needles, or the size needed to achieve gauge. A yarn needle is also required for weaving in ends. The stated gauge is 17