Winter Peace

Winter Peace Shawl by Cozy Up Knits

Project Overview

Winter Peace is an intermediate-level knitted shawl design by independent designer Cozy Up Knits. This downloadable PDF pattern offers creative flexibility, allowing knitters to work with either three coordinating colors or a single solid colorway throughout the project.

What Is Being Made

Winter Peace is a shawl pattern designed for knitters seeking an intermediate-level project. The design features a garter stitch border worked on both right side and wrong side rows, combined with stockinette sections that create visual interest and texture variation. The shawl construction involves strategic stitch placement and increases that gradually expand the piece to its finished dimensions.

Yarn and Materials

This pattern requires 1200 yards of fingering weight yarn (also called 4-ply yarn). Knitters may choose to work with three different colors at 400 yards each, or alternatively use a single color throughout for a more unified aesthetic. The pattern showcases yarn from Gingersnap on their Lux Fingering base, featuring the colorways Deco, Griffen, and Magpie. Knitters will need 3.75mm (US 5) needles and 2 stitch markers to complete the project. The pattern notes that the stitch count will increase substantially during construction, so selecting an appropriate needle cord size is recommended for comfortable working.

Knitting Techniques Used

Winter Peace incorporates several intermediate knitting techniques that add depth and sophistication to the finished shawl. The pattern makes extensive use of pick up and knit methods, including long knit variations that pick up stitches multiple rows down from the current working row. These long knits are worked both to the right and left of decreases from previous right side rows, creating dimensional texture. The pattern also employs slipped stitch over techniques and includes stockinette stitch sections that are blocked to create clean, finished fabric.

Stitches and Abbreviations

The pattern uses the following key stitches and techniques:

• Knit (k): fundamental knit stitch
• Purl (p): fundamental purl stitch
• Pick up and knit (pu&k): picking up live stitches from previous rows to create integrated increases
• Knit two together (k2tog): right-leaning decrease
• Slip, knit, pass slipped stitch over (skpo): left-leaning decrease
• Yarn over (yo): eyelet increase creating decorative openwork
• Double yarn over (dyo): creates larger eyelet openings
• Garter stitch: knit every stitch on both right side and wrong side rows, creating horizontal ridges
• Knit through back loop (ktbl): twisted knit stitch for textural variation
• Right twist: k2 variation creating subtle cable-like texture
• Slipped stitch over: decorative decrease technique

Gauge and Finishing

The pattern specifies a gauge of 30 stitches and 23 rows over 4 inches in blocked stockinette. Achieving proper gauge is essential for obtaining the intended finished dimensions. The shawl is designed to be blocked, which sets the stitches and allows the stockinette sections to relax into their final shape while the garter stitch borders maintain their structured appearance.