Minoan

Minoan Shawl by Nancy Whitman

What Is Being Made

Minoan is a triangular shawl pattern designed by independent designer Nancy Whitman. This downloadable knitting pattern creates a versatile accessory available in two sizes: Medium with blocked measurements of 56" width and 17½" center depth, or Large with 61" width and 21" center depth. The shawl features a sophisticated multicolored design section that adds visual interest to the finished piece.

Techniques Used

This intermediate-level knitting pattern employs several key techniques to achieve its elegant final form. The shawl construction begins with a provisional cast on using the main color, allowing for flexibility in the foundation. Stitch increases are worked systematically every two rows throughout the shaping process, creating the characteristic triangular silhouette. A slipped stitch edge technique is used to frame the shawl beautifully—each row begins by slipping one stitch purlwise with yarn in front, and these slipped stitches are kept loose to ensure proper blocking. The pattern includes charted sections for the multicolored design, with charts showing right side or odd-numbered rows for easy reference. The shawl is finished with a garter stitch bind off, providing a neat and durable edge.

Stitches Used

The Minoan pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined in strategic ways. Garter stitch forms the bind-off edge and likely comprises portions of the main fabric. Slipped stitches create the decorative selvage edges. The pattern includes charted colorwork sections that require reading and following stitch-by-stitch instructions for the multicolored design elements.

Materials Required

• Yarn: Madelinetosh DK weight yarn in 100% superwash merino. Three colors are required: Graphite (main color), Winter Wheat (contrast color 1), and Tart (contrast color 2). Each color comes in 225-yard skeins. Approximate yardage needed is 215 yards of Graphite and 50 yards each of Winter Wheat and Tart for the Medium size; the Large size requires approximately 320 yards of Graphite with 50 yards each of the contrast colors. Additional yardage is recommended if you wish to create an even larger version.
• Needles: US #8/5 mm needles, either straight or circular needles as preferred by the knitter.

Pattern Details

The Minoan pattern is presented as a downloadable PDF document created by Nancy Whitman and available through whitknits.com. The pattern document spans 6 pages and includes comprehensive instructions for both size options. The intermediate difficulty level makes this pattern suitable for knitters with foundational skills who are ready to work with colorwork charts and shaping techniques. The use of DK weight yarn allows for beautiful stitch definition in both the solid sections and the charted multicolored design.