Think Pink

Think Pink Shawl by Susanne Visch

What is Being Made

Think Pink is a knitted shawl designed as an eye-catching layering piece suitable for transitional weather and seasonal changes. This intermediate-level design combines both relaxing stockinette sections with challenging patterned elements, offering knitters a balanced project that develops multiple skill sets. The shawl can be worked in the featured magenta colorway or adapted to alternative colors based on crafter preference.

Knitting Techniques Used

The Think Pink shawl employs a multi-technique approach that blends fundamental and advanced knitting methods. The design features a patterned central section worked from both written and charted instructions, requiring knitters to read and coordinate instructions across multiple formats simultaneously. The pattern incorporates relaxing stockinette stitch sections alongside more complex patterning, creating visual and textural interest. Increase sections are strategically placed to shape the shawl, with plain stockinette and increase sections requiring separate written directions that must be read together to execute each row correctly. This structured approach helps knitters manage the complexity of the design while maintaining consistent shaping throughout the piece.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques

The Think Pink shawl utilizes several key stitches and techniques:

• Knit stitch (k) – the foundational stitch used throughout stockinette sections
• Purl stitch (p) – incorporated for textural variation and pattern definition
• Knit stitch right lifted-over (knstR) – a decorative decrease technique used in the patterned central section
• Left-hand needle work (LN) – referenced for specific stitch manipulations
• Left twist (LT) – a twisted stitch technique worked over two consecutive stitches for added texture and visual interest
• Make 1 with backward loop (m1bl) – an increase method used in the shaping sections to add stitches while maintaining pattern continuity
• Markers (M) – used to denote pattern repeats and section boundaries

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The Think Pink shawl is designed for DK weight yarn, requiring a total of 800 meters (875 yards) from a 400-gram skein or multiple skeins. The featured yarn is Debbie Bliss Piper in colorway 12016 Magenta, a cotton and rayon blend (50% cotton, 50% rayon) that offers a luxurious drape and breathable quality ideal for layering pieces. Each 100-gram unit of Debbie Bliss Piper provides 200 meters (219 yards) of yardage. The pattern notes that any cotton and rayon blend DK weight yarn may be substituted for similar results, allowing crafters flexibility in fiber selection while maintaining the intended finished appearance and drape of the shawl.

Pattern Format

Think Pink is provided as a downloadable PDF pattern that includes both written and charted instructions. The patterned central section features charted instructions alongside written directions, while the central section and plain stockinette increase sections are presented with separate written directions that must be coordinated and read together to properly execute each row. This dual-instruction format accommodates different learning preferences while ensuring accurate pattern execution.