Riley Rose Shawl

Riley Rose Shawl by Jennifer Lassonde

What Is Being Made

The Riley Rose Shawl is a sideways-constructed knitted shawl designed by Jennifer Lassonde. This triangular wrap measures 66.5 inches in total width and reaches a maximum height of 18 inches, making it a generous accessory suitable for wrapping and layering. The shawl features an ever-changing design with varied stitch patterns that skip around throughout the piece, creating visual interest and reflecting the creative, multifaceted inspiration behind the design.

Craft and Techniques

This project is executed entirely in knitting, making it an ideal choice for beginner-level knitters. The shawl is worked sideways, meaning you begin at one edge and work across to create the triangular shape, rather than working from the top down or bottom up. This construction method allows for intuitive shaping and makes it easier to manage the increasing width as you progress. The use of a 24-inch circular needle cord is sufficient for this project, and knitters will need 2 stitch markers to manage pattern repeats and shaping increases.

Stitches and Stitch Details

The gauge is established at 25 stitches and 40 rows per 4 inches in Garter Stitch. Garter Stitch—created by knitting every row—forms the foundation of this shawl's texture and provides a classic, reversible fabric that looks the same on both sides. The ever-changing design incorporates varied stitch patterns throughout the piece, creating visual texture and preventing monotony across the large surface area.

Materials and Yarn

The Riley Rose Shawl is designed to be worked in 4-ply fingering weight yarn. The sample shown uses One Twisted Tree Prime Fingering, a yarn blend of 75% Superwash Merino and 25% nylon. This fiber composition provides durability, softness, and easy-care properties ideal for a frequently-worn wrap.

The shawl requires a total of 608 yards of yarn, distributed across three coordinating colorways:

• Color A (Seashell): Light coral, 151 yards
• Color B (Reef Coral): Dark coral, 254 yards
• Color C (Gulf): Aqua blue, 203 yards

The three-color combination creates a gradient effect moving through warm corals into cool aqua tones, though knitters may substitute other fingering-weight yarns in their preferred colorways while maintaining the same yardage requirements.

Needles and Notions

The pattern calls for US 6 (4.0mm) needles or the size needed to obtain the specified gauge. A circular needle with a 24-inch cord length is sufficient for this project. Additional notions include 2 stitch markers for managing pattern repeats and shaping, and optionally a removable progress keeper or stitch marker to mark the Right Side rows. For finishing, blocking pins and blocking wires (optional) help shape and even out the completed shawl.