Winter Collar Shawl

Winter Collar Shawl by Ester Puente

What is Being Made

The Winter Collar Shawl is a cozy, hand-knit shawl featuring a built-in collar designed to provide warmth during cold winter months. This garment combines functionality with aesthetic appeal, using textured stitches to highlight the subtle color variations in worsted weight yarn. The integrated collar design distinguishes this shawl from traditional wrap styles, offering both style and practical neck coverage in a single piece.

Craft and Primary Technique

This is a knitting project suitable for knitters with intermediate skill level. The shawl is constructed using circular knitting needles, allowing for seamless construction and the ability to work in the round or back and forth depending on the pattern structure. The design employs textured stitch techniques that create visual interest while showcasing the yarn's natural color variations.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques Used

The Winter Collar Shawl incorporates several key knitting stitches and techniques:

• Kf&b (Knit into the front and back) – An increase stitch that creates two stitches from one, used strategically throughout the pattern to shape the shawl
• Cross Stitch (CS) – A textured stitch worked by knitting into the front of the second stitch on the left needle, passing it over the first stitch and off the needle, then knitting the first stitch. This creates the subtle textured appearance that highlights yarn color variations
• K1tbl (Knit one through the back loop) – A twisted knit stitch that adds texture and definition to the fabric
• P1tbl (Purl one through the back loop) – A twisted purl stitch that complements the knit through back loop stitches
• Purl stitches – Used in the set-up row and throughout the pattern to create textural contrast

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The Winter Collar Shawl is designed for worsted weight yarn, a medium-weight yarn that provides warmth and drape suitable for winter wear. The pattern requires approximately 800 yards total of worsted weight yarn in 2 colors.

The sample shown in the pattern uses the following specific yarns:

• Color 1 (Pearl): 2 skeins of Malabrigo Rios, 210 yards each (420 yards total)
• Color 2 (Silver Fox): 2 skeins of Madeline Tosh Vintage, 200 yards each (400 yards total)

These yarn choices showcase how the two-color construction highlights the textured stitches, with Pearl and Silver Fox creating subtle contrast that emphasizes the dimensional quality of the cross stitch and twisted stitch techniques.

Equipment Required

The pattern calls for US Size 10 circular needles with a 32-inch cord. Circular needles of this length accommodate the shawl's width while allowing for comfortable knitting, whether working in the round or flat depending on the pattern's construction method.

Pattern Structure

The pattern begins with a small cast-on of 4 stitches, followed by a set-up row that establishes the foundation. The initial rows use kf&b increases at the edges to expand the fabric, while cross stitches form the textured body of the shawl. This construction method allows the shawl to grow organically from a small center point, creating the integrated collar feature and the overall shawl shape.