Daisy, Daisy

Daisy, Daisy Knitted Shawl by Orla Howard

What is Being Made

Daisy, Daisy is a large rectangular knitted shawl designed by independent designer Orla Howard. This versatile accessory offers multiple styling options: wear it across your shoulders as a stole, fold it to a triangle for traditional shawl wear, or wrap it around your neck as a warm scarf. The generous dimensions and thoughtful construction make it suitable for various occasions and seasons.

Design Structure and Composition

The shawl features a sophisticated construction combining multiple stitch patterns and color work. A central lace section forms the focal point, surrounded by alternating intervals of lace and stocking stitch worked in contrasting colors. This creates visual interest and texture variation throughout the piece. The border is worked entirely in garter stitch using both the main and contrasting colors, providing a structured frame and finished edge.

Knitting Techniques Used

• Lace knitting: Openwork sections created through yarn overs and decreases form the decorative central and interval patterns
• Stocking stitch: Smooth stockinette sections provide contrast to the textured lace areas
• Garter stitch: Ridged border worked in both colors for a polished finish
• Two-color knitting: Main color and contrasting color are worked throughout, creating visual depth and design definition
• Provisional cast-on: Using a crochet hook and scrap yarn allows for seamless joining
• Circular knitting: The shawl is worked in the round on circular needles

Stitches Featured

The pattern employs fundamental knitting stitches combined in strategic ways. Lace stitches (yarn overs and decreases) create openwork sections, while knit and purl stitches form the stocking stitch intervals. Garter stitch (alternating knit rows or knit every round) creates the structured border. The combination of these stitches at intermediate difficulty level creates a sophisticated final garment.

Yarn and Materials

The original design uses Filisilk from Steff's Werkstatt, a luxury yarn blend containing 70% Merino wool and 30% Mulberry silk. The yardage is 600 meters per 100 grams. The pattern calls for 100g in Dark Pink (main color) and 100g in Dark Grey (contrasting color). Designer Orla Howard recommends a minimum of 1400 meters of yarn total, as some pattern testers required additional yardage beyond the designer's original estimate.

Filisilk may be substituted with any light to fingering weight yarn, provided you have sufficient yardage. The 3-ply and 4-ply yarn weights are suitable alternatives that will produce similar drape and finished dimensions.

Needles and Tools Required

• Circular needles: 4mm size (or approximately 0.5mm larger than your yarn's recommended needle size)
• Cable length: Approximately 100cm long cable is necessary for knitting in the round
• Crochet hook: For provisional cast-on method
• Scrap yarn: For provisional cast-on
• Stitch markers: Four total, with one being distinctly different from the others for easy identification at pattern repeat points

Difficulty Level

Daisy, Daisy is rated as an intermediate knitting project. While it incorporates fundamental stitches, the combination of lace work, color changes, circular needle techniques, and pattern reading requires solid foundational skills and comfort with following multi-row instructions.