Aralie

Aralie Shawl by Bérangère Cailliau

What is Being Made

Aralie is a beautifully designed knitted shawl created by independent designer Bérangère Cailliau. This intermediate-level project produces an elegant accessory that combines visual interest through color work and textural stitch patterns. The shawl is worked in a lateral construction method, meaning it is knit from side to side rather than from the center outward or top to bottom, allowing for flexible sizing based on available yarn.

Construction and Design Features

The Aralie shawl showcases a thoughtful combination of stitch techniques that create both visual appeal and structural interest. The main body of the shawl is worked in garter stitch, a fundamental knitting stitch that produces a reversible, textured fabric with horizontal ridges. This classic stitch serves as the foundation for the design and is accented with stripes that add color variation throughout the piece.

A distinctive design element of the Aralie shawl is the two-colour cable featured on the side edge. This cable is worked using slipped stitches, a technique where stitches are moved from one needle to another without being knitted, creating a refined visual effect. The two-colour cable construction adds sophistication and works beautifully across a range of color combinations, making this design versatile for various yarn choices.

The shawl is finished with two-colour i-cord borders, which provide a polished, professional edge. An i-cord is a narrow, tubular knitted cord created by knitting a small number of stitches in the round, and the two-colour variation adds a coordinated decorative touch that frames the finished piece.

Knitting Techniques Used

• Lateral construction (side-to-side knitting)
• Garter stitch for the main fabric
• Striped color work
• Two-colour cable with slipped stitches
• I-cord edge finishing in two colours

Yarn and Materials

The Aralie pattern is designed to work with 4-ply (fingering weight) yarn. The designer's sample was created using Le chat qui tricote Duchesse, a luxurious blend of 50% merino wool and 50% silk that provides both warmth and drape. The Duchesse yarn yields approximately 437 yards (400 meters) per 100 grams, making it ideal for shawl projects where yardage can be adjusted based on personal preference and available materials.

Adaptability and Skill Level

Rated as an intermediate difficulty pattern, the Aralie shawl is suitable for knitters with foundational skills who are ready to explore cable work and colour techniques. A key advantage of this design is its easy adaptability to your amount of yarn, allowing knitters to customize the finished size based on how much yarn they have available. This flexibility makes the pattern accessible to crafters working with stash yarn or alternative yarn choices while maintaining the design's integrity.

The combination of garter stitch simplicity with the more advanced cable and slipped stitch techniques makes this an excellent intermediate project for building confidence in colour work and decorative stitch methods.