Wave Break Shawl

Wave Break Shawl by Kiri FitzGerald

What Is Being Made

The Wave Break Shawl is a triangular lace shawl designed as the perfect layering piece for early spring weather. This cozy, lofty shawl provides just enough warmth to protect against breezy days and early-morning frosts, making it an ideal transitional accessory for cooler seasons. The finished shawl measures 57 inches (145 cm) long and 17 inches (43 cm) wide at its widest point, offering generous coverage for draping over shoulders or wrapping around the body.

Techniques Used

The Wave Break Shawl employs a combination of fundamental and intermediate knitting techniques. The pattern begins with a single cast-on stitch and uses increases throughout the construction to create the triangular shawl shape. Key techniques include kf&b (knit front and back) increases for expanding stitch counts, stitch markers to track pattern sections, and charted lace pattern work. The design strategically incorporates garter stitch breaks between lace sections, which provide visual interest while offering periods of straightforward knitting that allow for meditative, mindless knitting without requiring constant pattern concentration.

Stitches Used

• Garter Stitch: The foundational stitch used throughout the shawl, including in the breaks between lace sections. Garter stitch is created by knitting every row, producing a textured, reversible fabric.
• Lace Pattern: Charted lace work (Chart A) creates the decorative wave motif that gives the shawl its name and visual appeal. The lace pattern is designed to be easy to follow and see, even when worked in aran-weight yarn.
• Increases: The kf&b increase is used throughout to gradually expand the shawl from a single stitch into its final triangular dimensions.

Materials

This pattern requires aran-weight yarn, with 2 skeins needed to complete the finished shawl. The sample shown uses Baa Ram Ewe Dovestone Natural Aran yarn in Shade 2, which is composed of 50% BFL Wool, 25% Wensleydale Longwool, and 25% Masham wool. This blend creates a lofty, warm fiber ideal for spring layering. The yarn specifications indicate 186 yards (170 meters) per 100 grams. US 8 (5 mm) knitting needles are required, along with a stitch marker and tapestry needle for finishing. The recommended gauge is 18 stitches and 22 rows over 4 inches (10 cm) in garter stitch after blocking.

Difficulty Level

The Wave Break Shawl is rated as an intermediate knitting project, making it suitable for knitters with some experience beyond the absolute beginner level. While the lace pattern work requires attention to charted instructions, the inclusion of garter stitch breaks provides relief and allows knitters to build confidence with the pattern repeats. The straightforward construction method—beginning from a single stitch and increasing outward—is logical and easy to follow, even as the shawl grows in size.