Triceratops

Triceratops Shawl by Carissa Browning

Project Overview

Triceratops is a distinctive knitted shawl designed by Carissa Browning that captures the iconic silhouette of the three-horned dinosaur. This intermediate-level knitting project features a dramatic six-pointed shape with stockinette stitch horns that extend from an expanding mesh background, creating a wearable sculpture inspired by prehistoric design.

What Is Being Made

This pattern creates a large triangular shawl with a unique six-pointed silhouette. The finished shawl measures 40 inches in span with a height of 20 inches at the center point. The design incorporates three prominent stockinette stitch horns that project outward, mimicking the distinctive three-horn structure of the Triceratops dinosaur, along with a crest-like construction that references the dinosaur's large bony frill.

Knitting Techniques Used

This intermediate knitting project employs several advanced shaping techniques to achieve its distinctive silhouette. The shawl uses an expanding mesh background that grows outward from a center point, creating the characteristic triangular shawl shape. Stockinette stitch sections form the three prominent horns, providing textural contrast against the openwork mesh. The pattern utilizes strategic increases and decreases to control shaping and create the six-pointed outline.

Stitches and Stitch Abbreviations

The Triceratops shawl incorporates a variety of knitting stitches and techniques to achieve its complex structure:

• K3tog (knit 3 together) — a triple decrease that reduces three stitches to one
• Kfb (knit into front and back) — an increase that creates two stitches from one
• KYK ({k1, yo, k1} into next stitch) — a triple increase creating lace detail
• Sk2p (slip 1, knit 2 together, pass slipped stitch over) — a centered double decrease
• Ssk (slip, slip, knit) — a left-leaning decrease
• Sssk (slip, slip, slip, knit) — a triple slip decrease

These stitches work together to create both the structured horn sections and the delicate expanding mesh background that defines the shawl's dramatic shape.

Materials and Yarn

The Triceratops shawl is designed to be worked in Cascade Heritage, a 4-ply weight yarn composed of 75% merino wool and 25% nylon. One skein is required, which provides 400 meters (437 yards) per 100-gram skein. The recommended color is #5617. The merino and nylon blend offers both softness and durability, with the nylon content providing additional strength and elasticity to support the shawl's dramatic points and extended horns.

Tools and Notions

This pattern requires a US #6/4mm circular needle, which accommodates the expanding stitch count as the shawl grows outward. The pattern calls for 11 removable stitch markers (optional) to help track pattern repeats and shaping sections. A tapestry needle is needed for weaving in ends and finishing.

Gauge

The gauge for this project is 21 stitches and 33 rows over 4 inches in stockinette stitch. Achieving proper gauge is essential for obtaining the correct finished measurements of the 40-inch span and 20-inch center height.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as intermediate, making it suitable for knitters with experience beyond basic techniques. The complexity arises from the combination of multiple decrease techniques, the expanding mesh construction, and the coordination required to shape the six-pointed silhouette while maintaining pattern consistency across the shawl.