Bunchberry Shawl

Bunchberry Shawl by Stefanie Johnson

What is Being Made

The Bunchberry Shawl is a triangular knit shawl designed by Stefanie Johnson and named after the four-petaled flowers of the Cornus canadensis (Bunchberry dogwood) plant. This intermediate-level knitting project produces a finished triangular shawl measuring 60 inches wide by 30 inches deep, with a side length of 43 inches. The shawl features a geometric tiled pattern inspired by the natural flower structure, making it suitable for both striking high-contrast colorways and subtle, softer color combinations.

Techniques Used

The Bunchberry Shawl employs several key knitting techniques to create its distinctive appearance. Stranded colorwork forms the foundation of the geometric tiled pattern, allowing knitters to work with two colors simultaneously to build the intricate design. The shawl is framed with a garter stitch border, which creates a clean, textured edge that complements the colorwork body. A slipped stitch edge is incorporated for a polished finish. The construction method involves working from the center outward, a common approach for triangular shawls, and requires the use of both circular needles and double-pointed needles to manage stitches as the piece expands.

Stitches Used

• Stranded pattern stitches – The primary stitch technique used throughout the geometric tiled design, worked at a gauge of 22 stitches and 23 rows per 4 inches (10 cm) when blocked
• Garter stitch – Used for the border framing, creating a textured, reversible edge
• Slipped stitches – Incorporated along the edges for a refined, finished appearance

Materials

The Bunchberry Shawl is knit using Aran weight yarn, specifically shown in Berroco Comfort, a practical blend of 50% Nylon/Polyamide and 50% Acrylic that is soft, squishy, and easy to care for. The yarn comes in a wide variety of colors, allowing customization of the two-color design. The pattern requires 3 skeins of the main color (shown in Gold) and 2 skeins of the contrasting color (shown in Purple), with each skein containing 210 yards (192 meters) per 100 grams (3.53 ounces).

Needles required include a U.S. 9 (5.5 mm) circular needle measuring 60 inches (152 cm) in length for the main body of the shawl, a U.S. 9 (5.5 mm) double-pointed needle for shawl construction, and a U.S. H (5 mm) crochet hook. Smooth cotton waste yarn is also needed as a provisional cast-on material to begin the project.