Feather & Fan Shawl in Red Heart Heart & Sole - LW2572

Feather & Fan Shawl in Red Heart Heart & Sole – Pattern LW2572

Designed by Samantha Lever, the Feather & Fan Shawl (LW2572) is a beautifully flowing knitted accessory worked in a timeless wave stitch pattern. When blocked to its finished measurements of 15" x 58", this shawl makes an elegant and versatile addition to any wardrobe. The design is rated beginner level, making it an ideal project for newer knitters who want to practice a classic stitch repeat while producing a polished, professional-looking result.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a single rectangular shawl with gently undulating edges created by the signature feather and fan stitch pattern. The finished shawl is long and wrap-friendly, measuring 15 inches wide by 58 inches long after blocking. The self-striping nature of the recommended yarn means the color transitions happen automatically as you knit, adding visual interest without any additional effort from the knitter.

Techniques Used

• Casting on and binding off – The shawl begins with a cast-on of 93 stitches and finishes with a standard bind-off.
• Blocking – Blocking is an essential finishing step for this pattern, allowing the feather and fan waves to open up fully and the shawl to reach its intended dimensions of 15" x 58".
• Weaving in ends – A yarn needle is used to neatly secure all loose ends after binding off.
• Gauge swatching – A gauge of 21 stitches and 30 rows over 4 inches in Stockinette stitch is required, and knitters are encouraged to use any needle size necessary to achieve this gauge.
• Four-row repeat construction – The body of the shawl is built on a simple four-row repeat that is worked until the piece measures 50 inches before the final finishing rows are added.

Stitches Used

The feather and fan stitch (also known as the old shale stitch) is the central stitch pattern of this design. It creates a rhythmic wave or shell effect through a precise combination of decreases and yarn overs worked across the row. The specific stitch techniques used include:

• Knit (K) – The foundation stitch used throughout the pattern, including the garter stitch border and the feather and fan repeat itself.
• Purl (P) – Used on Row 4 of the repeat to create the reverse side of the Stockinette sections within the pattern.
• Knit two together (K2tog) – A right-leaning decrease worked in groups of three to create the "valley" portions of the wave pattern.
• Yarn over (yo) – Worked in groups of six to create the open, lacy "peak" sections of the wave, compensating for the stitches lost through the K2tog decreases and maintaining a consistent stitch count.
• Garter stitch border – Three stitches at each end of every row are kept in garter stitch (knit on every row) to create a neat, stable selvedge edge that lies flat without curling.

Materials

• Yarn: RED HEART® Heart & Sole® with Aloe, Art. E745 – a 4-ply (fingering/sock weight) yarn available in solid and multi-color options. The pattern specifically calls for 4 balls of colorway 3960 Spring Stripe. Each ball contains 1.76 oz (50 g) and 213 yards (195 m), giving a total of approximately 852 yards for the project. The yarn's self-striping construction means color changes occur naturally as you work through each ball.
• Needles: 4.5mm [US 7] knitting needles, or the size needed to obtain the correct gauge.
• Notions: A yarn needle for weaving in ends.

About the Feather and Fan Stitch

The feather and fan stitch is one of the most beloved classic knitting patterns, with roots in traditional Shetland lace knitting. It produces a graceful, rippling wave effect that is deceptively simple to