Creative Soul

Creative Soul Shawl by Verena Cohrs

What is Being Made

Creative Soul is a customisable knitted shawl designed by Verena Cohrs for The Wool Club. This triangular shawl features a generous wingspan of 145 cm (57 inches) along the top edge and a depth of 66 cm (26 inches) at its deepest point, making it a versatile accessory suitable for layering or wrapping. The design is presented in one size that can be adjusted to personal preferences, offering flexibility for knitters who wish to modify the finished dimensions.

Techniques and Construction

The Creative Soul shawl employs lace knitting as its primary technique, creating an elegant, openwork fabric that showcases the beauty of the yarn. The shawl is worked flat on circular needles, which provide the necessary length to accommodate the expanding stitch count as the triangular shape develops. The construction begins with a garter tab—a small section of garter stitch that serves as the foundation—before transitioning into the lace pattern charted in Chart A. This methodical approach is typical of top-down shawl construction, allowing knitters to work from a small number of stitches that gradually increase throughout the pattern.

Stitches Used

The pattern incorporates several fundamental knitting stitches to create its structure and visual interest. Stockinette stitch forms the base fabric in sections, providing a smooth, classic backdrop. Garter stitch is used for the initial tab and likely for edge stitches, creating a textured, reversible fabric. The lace pattern is worked according to Chart A, which uses yarn overs and decreases to create the openwork design characteristic of lace shawlettes. Stitch markers are essential notions used throughout to help knitters track pattern repeats and maintain accuracy across the expanding rows.

Materials and Specifications

The Creative Soul shawl is designed to be worked in Blacker Yarns Brushwork, a sport-weight yarn composed of 80% Pure New Wool and 20% Alpaca. This blend provides warmth, elasticity, and a subtle sheen while maintaining excellent stitch definition necessary for lace work. The yarn yardage requirement is 460 metres (503 yards) from a 50 g skein, making this a relatively quick project. The recommended needle size is 4.5 mm (US 7) circular needles with a cable length of at least 80 cm (32 inches) to comfortably hold the increasing stitches. The gauge is 17 stitches by 25 rows over 10 x 10 cm (4 x 4 inches) when worked in Stockinette Stitch on the specified needle size after blocking, ensuring consistent finished dimensions.

Difficulty Level

Rated as a beginner level pattern, Creative Soul is accessible to knitters new to shawl construction and lace techniques. The straightforward top-down construction method, combined with charted lace instructions, makes this design an excellent introduction to lace knitting without overwhelming complexity.

Additional Notions and Tools

• Blocking tools (optional but recommended for shaping and opening up the lace)
• Crochet hook and scrap yarn for provisional cast-on (optional alternative casting method)
• Darning needle for weaving in ends
• Stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats
• Tape measure for checking gauge and finished dimensions

Pattern design and sample knitting by Verena Cohrs, with technical editing by Francesca Mueller and photography by Jill de Dieuleveult.