Ripen

Ripen Shawl by Meghan Jackson

What Is Being Made

Ripen is a one-skein shawl designed by Meghan Jackson, featuring a striking leafy edging and an all-around lace border. This intermediate-level knitting project captures the essence of autumn with its spice-colored palette, making it an ideal accessory for transitioning from fall into winter. The shawl is knit in one piece from side to side, creating a cohesive design that showcases both lace and textural elements throughout.

Knitting Techniques

This shawl employs several key knitting techniques to achieve its distinctive appearance. The design utilizes lace knitting to create the all-around lace border, which requires careful attention to yarn overs and decreases to form the openwork pattern. The side-to-side construction method means the shawl is worked horizontally rather than from the center outward, allowing for a unique shaping approach. Optional bead embellishment is incorporated using a crochet hook to thread beads through stitches, adding decorative detail and visual interest to the finished piece.

Stitches Used

The pattern is primarily worked in Stockinette Stitch (St St), which serves as the foundational fabric and provides a smooth canvas for the lace elements. The lace border features yarn overs and decreases—essential techniques for creating the openwork leafy edging that defines this design. These stitch techniques work together to produce the characteristic drape and delicate appearance of the shawl.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

• Yarn: Rocky Mountain Dyeworks Bow Falls Fingering weight in the colorway Falling Leaves (100% superwash Blue Faced Leicester, 430 yards/393 meters per 3.5 oz/100 g skein); one skein is sufficient for the entire project
• Needles: US 3 (3.25 mm) circular needles, 24 inches in length, or size as required to obtain proper gauge
• Gauge: 22 stitches and 32 rows over 4 inches (10 cm) in Stockinette Stitch after blocking
• Optional Beadwork Supplies: US 11/12 (1 mm) crochet hook for threading beads, and 59 Miyuki Seed Beads in size 6/0, color 6-304 Garnet Gold Luster
• Notions: Stitch markers (minimum 2), yarn needle for weaving in ends

Yarn Weight and Skill Level

Ripen is designed for 3-ply and 4-ply yarn weights, with the pattern specifically using a fingering-weight yarn that allows for intricate stitch definition. The intermediate difficulty level makes this project suitable for knitters who have mastered basic techniques and are ready to tackle lace knitting and optional beadwork. The one-skein format makes this an efficient project that can be completed without requiring a large yarn stash.