Fernview

Fernview Shawl by Taiga Hilliard Designs

What is Being Made

Fernview is a knitted shawl featuring a simple and classic lace design. This downloadable PDF pattern is designed for intermediate knitters and offers flexibility in sizing and yarn weight, allowing crafters to customize the finished shawl to their preferences.

Design and Construction

The shawl is constructed using a straightforward lace pattern that begins with a small cast-on and expands through strategic increases and yarn-over placements. The pattern starts with a set-up section that establishes the foundational stitches before transitioning into the main lace repeat. The design is approachable for intermediate-level knitters, combining basic increases with lace elements to create visual interest without excessive complexity.

Knitting Techniques Used

• Yarn overs (YO): Creates the openwork lace elements characteristic of the shawl's design
• Increases: Knit front and back (KFB) stitches used to expand the shawl dimensions throughout the pattern
• Decreases: Slip, slip, knit (SSK) decreases balance the yarn overs and maintain shaping
• Directional stitching: Knit into the back of stitches (Ktbl) adds textural variation
• Right-side and wrong-side rows: Standard flat knitting with knit stitches on right-side rows and purl stitches on wrong-side rows

Stitches Featured

• Knit (K): Foundation stitch worked on right-side rows
• Purl (P): Worked on wrong-side rows to create stockinette base
• Yarn Over (YO): Lace element creating decorative holes
• Knit Front and Back (KFB): Increase stitch that creates two stitches from one
• Knit Through Back Loop (Ktbl): Twisted stitch variation for texture
• Slip, Slip, Knit (SSK): Left-leaning decrease stitch

Materials and Specifications

Yarn: The pattern is designed to work with any weight of yarn, offering creative flexibility. The designer used Malabrigo Rasta in the Lettuce colorway and chose a super bulky weight for their version. The pattern requires 180 yards of yarn.

Needles: US size 19 (15.00 mm) needles are recommended, though the pattern notes that knitters should select needle size as needed to achieve proper gauge.

Gauge: The pattern specifies a gauge of 6.0 stitches over 4 inches. Since this shawl is designed to be adaptable to any yarn weight and size, achieving the correct gauge for your chosen yarn is essential for proper fit and drape.

Pattern Notes

The Fernview pattern includes a practical tip from designer Taiga Hilliard: when approaching the end of your yarn supply, weigh the remaining yarn and work several right-side and wrong-side rows to determine approximately how much yardage you have available for the bind-off. This technique helps ensure you have sufficient yarn to complete the shawl properly without running short during the final steps.