Ocean Serenade

Ocean Serenade Shawl by Christiane Burkhard

What is Being Made

Ocean Serenade is an intermediate-level knitted shawl designed by Christiane Burkhard. This piece is crafted to capture the visual essence of a calm ocean, featuring a distinctive wavy stitch pattern that creates a light and elegant aesthetic. The shawl is constructed using a side-to-side working method, which allows the stitch pattern to flow across the width of the garment, and is finished with a simple ruffled edging that adds texture and movement to the final piece.

Techniques Used

The primary construction technique for Ocean Serenade is side-to-side knitting, a method where the shawl is worked horizontally from one side edge to the opposite side edge rather than from the top down or bottom up. This approach is particularly effective for showcasing stitch patterns and allows for strategic color placement when working with variegated or color-changing yarns. The designer specifically notes that the pattern accommodates color-changing yarn, with instructions to reverse-wind the skeins to mirror color changes through the center of the shawl for a symmetrical effect. A simple ruffled edging provides the finishing detail, adding dimension and visual interest to the perimeter of the shawl.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch structure for Ocean Serenade is garter stitch, which forms the foundation of the wavy pattern that inspired the design. Garter stitch is created by knitting every row, producing a reversible fabric with horizontal ridges that create texture and visual movement. This fundamental stitch is worked at a gauge of 6 stitches per 1 inch, which is typical for 4-ply fingering weight yarn. The wavy appearance that gives the shawl its oceanic quality emerges from the interaction of the garter stitch structure with the color changes in the yarn.

Materials and Yarn

Ocean Serenade requires approximately 760 yards (695 meters) of fingering weight yarn, which can be achieved using two 100-gram skeins. The pattern was designed with Wolle's Yarn Creation Color Changing Cotton in 4-ply weight, and the sample shown in the pattern uses the Tropical I and II colorways. The color-changing nature of this yarn is integral to the design, as the pattern includes specific instructions for reverse-winding the skeins to ensure the color transitions mirror through the center of the shawl for optimal visual symmetry. Knitters using variegated or solid-colored yarns of comparable weight and yardage can also successfully complete this project, though the visual effect will differ from the designer's original intent.

Tools Required

The pattern calls for a circular needle in US size 4 (3.5 mm). Additionally, knitters will need scrap yarn or two split markers to assist with construction and stitch management during the side-to-side working process.

Difficulty Level

Ocean Serenade is rated as an intermediate knitting project, making it suitable for knitters who have mastered basic stitches and are ready to work with slightly more complex construction methods such as side-to-side shaping and color-pattern coordination.