Josie's garden shawl

Josie's Garden Shawl by Emelie Litwin

Project Overview

Josie's Garden Shawl is an intermediate-level knitted shawl designed by Emelie Litwin. This downloadable PDF pattern creates a stunning triangular shawl featuring a two-color colorwork design. The finished shawl measures 73 inches (185 centimeters) along the top wingspan edge with a center depth of 27.5 inches (70 centimeters), making it a generous accessory suitable for layering or wearing as a wrap.

What Is Being Made

This is a knitted triangular shawl worked from the top down. The design incorporates two contrasting colors—Color A in Rose and Color B in Cactus Flower—creating a garden-inspired colorwork pattern. The shawl is constructed to be worn with the wingspan edge draped across the shoulders and the pointed center hanging down the back.

Techniques Used

The pattern employs several intermediate knitting techniques that add visual interest and shaping to the finished garment:

• Garter stitch forms the foundation fabric, creating a textured, reversible surface
• Colorwork using two yarn colors worked throughout the pattern
• Decreases including specialized decrease abbreviations (brk, brp, br4st dec, brRsl) that integrate yarn overs and slipped stitches for decorative shaping
• Cable needle techniques for creating twisted stitch effects
• Yarn over increases worked in conjunction with decreases to maintain stitch count while creating lace-like openings
• Tassel and bead embellishment added after knitting is complete for decorative finishing

Stitches Used

The primary stitch structure is garter stitch, which is created by knitting every row. The pattern incorporates the following specialized stitches and abbreviations:

• Brk (knit 1 stitch together with its yarn over)—combines a knit stitch with its accompanying yarn over in a single motion
• Brp (purl 1 stitch together with its yarn over)—the purl equivalent of brk
• Br4st dec—a four-stitch decrease worked by slipping stitches knitwise and passing slipped stitches over knit stitches
• BrRsl (slip 1 stitch knitwise, knit next stitch, pass slipped stitch over)—a right-leaning decrease
• Cable needle stitches—stitches held on a cable needle and worked out of order to create twisted or crossed effects
• Yarn overs—used throughout to create openwork and shaping

Materials Required

Yarn: The pattern calls for 300 grams total of fingering weight yarn, divided equally between two colors (150 grams each). The suggested yarn is Madelinetosh Merino Light, which provides 384 meters (420 yards) per 100-gram skein. Color A should be Rose, and Color B should be Cactus Flower. Knitters may substitute any fingering weight yarn of similar yardage and fiber content.

Needles: One 24-inch (60-centimeter) circular needle in US size 4 (3.5 millimeters) or the size needed to obtain the correct gauge.

Notions and Finishing: A tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends, a cable needle for working cable stitches, tassels for embellishment, beads for decorative details, and sewing thread with needle for attaching beads if they have small holes.

Gauge

The pattern specifies a gauge of 26 to 28 stitches per 10 centimeters (4 inches) measured over garter stitch. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for the finished shawl to reach the intended measurements of 73 inches wingspan by 27.5 inches depth.