Sorata Straight No Chaser in Cascade Yarns - FW273 - Downloadable PDF

Sorata Straight No Chaser – Free Knitted Shawl Pattern by Shannon Dunbabin in Cascade Yarns Sorata

The Sorata Straight No Chaser is a beautifully crafted knitted shawl pattern designed by Shannon Dunbabin and published by Cascade Yarns (pattern number FW273). Available as a free downloadable PDF, this intermediate-level pattern produces a single, one-size shawl with generous finished measurements of 50 inches wide by 20 inches tall — a sweeping, wearable accessory that drapes elegantly over the shoulders.

What Is Being Made

This pattern creates a knitted shawl falling within the accessories category alongside ponchos, capes, and wraps. At 50 inches wide and 20 inches tall when blocked, the finished piece is substantial enough to function as a true wrap, offering warmth and style in equal measure. The design is rated intermediate in skill level, making it an ideal next step for knitters who are comfortable with basic techniques and ready to incorporate shaping, markers, and a variety of stitch manipulations into a cohesive project.

Materials and Yarn

The pattern calls for Cascade Yarns® Sorata, a luxurious 4-ply (fingering weight) yarn with a fiber composition of 70% Llama / 30% Silk. This blend is particularly well suited to a shawl: llama fiber provides a soft, lightweight warmth without the scratchiness sometimes associated with wool, while silk adds a subtle luminosity and drape that makes the finished fabric catch the light beautifully. Each skein contains 100 g (3.5 oz) / 437 yards (400 m), and the pattern requires just one skein in color #16 (Scarlet). The rich scarlet colorway makes this shawl a striking statement piece.

• Yarn: Cascade Yarns® Sorata, 70% Llama / 30% Silk
• Yardage: 437 yards (400 m) per 100 g skein
• Color used: #16 Scarlet
• Skeins required: 1

Needles and Notions

The pattern recommends US 6 (4.0 mm) knitting needles, or whichever size is needed to achieve the specified gauge. Additional notions include a yarn needle for finishing and 2 stitch markers to help track pattern sections during knitting.

• Needles: US 6 (4.0 mm), or size to obtain gauge
• Notions: Yarn needle, 2 stitch markers

Gauge

Achieving the correct gauge is especially important for this shawl, as the finished dimensions depend on it. The target gauge is 24 stitches × 32 rows = 4 inches (10 cm), measured in garter stitch after blocking. Because the yarn is a fine 4-ply weight, blocking plays a significant role in opening up the fabric and reaching the full 50-inch width.

Techniques and Stitches Used

The Sorata Straight No Chaser draws on a well-rounded set of knitting techniques that place it firmly in the intermediate category. The foundation of the fabric is garter stitch — created by knitting every row — which produces a squishy, reversible texture with excellent drape when worked in a fine yarn like Sorata. Beyond the base stitch, the pattern incorporates deliberate shaping through a range of increase and decrease methods.

Shaping is achieved using Kfb (knit into the front and back) increases, which add stitches seamlessly within the fabric, as well as Yarn Over (YO) increases that can create decorative eyelets depending on their placement in the design. For decreases, the pattern employs both K2tog (knit two together) — a right-leaning decrease — and SSK (slip, slip, knit) along with Sl1-K1-PSSO (slip