Waves of Color/ Strickwelle

Waves of Color / Strickwelle Knitted Shawl

What is Being Made

The Waves of Color / Strickwelle is an intermediate-level knitted shawl designed by Bonita. This rectangular shawl measures 35 cm x 150 cm (14 inches x 60 inches) and features a sophisticated design created through strategic use of color contrast and row-shortening techniques. The finished piece showcases asymmetrical areas separated by wiggly lines, creating visual movement and depth throughout the garment.

Design Concept and Techniques

The shawl employs row shortening as its primary construction technique to create the distinctive wavy lines that define the piece. This method involves working partial rows rather than complete rows across all stitches, allowing the knitter to build dimensional, undulating patterns. The designer incorporated a darker tweed yarn specifically to emphasize the separating lines between asymmetrical sections, making these transitions visually prominent.

The design utilizes slip stitches strategically throughout the pattern to serve a dual purpose: they create textural interest while also helping the knitter navigate the chart accurately. The restrained stitch patterns used in the areas between the separating lines are intentionally designed to be visible on both the right side and wrong side of the fabric, adding versatility to how the shawl can be worn or displayed.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The shawl incorporates two distinct stitch patterns, labeled Pattern A and Pattern B, which are provided as charts in the pattern. Pattern B is used as the primary gauge reference. The patterns include slip stitches, which aid in creating clean lines and helping with pattern orientation. All stitches in the chart are drawn to represent exactly how they should be knitted, with right-side rows read from right to left and wrong-side rows read from left to right, following standard knitting chart conventions.

Materials and Yarn

This shawl requires a total of 300 grams of yarn split between two complementary yarns:

• 200 grams of Lana Grossa Magico Meilenweit in the lighter colorway
• 100 grams of Magico Tweed Meilenweit in the darker shade for contrast lines

Both yarns are identical in fiber content and yardage specifications: 75% new wool and 25% polyamide blend, with each 100-gram skein providing 400 meters or 440 yards. This yarn weight is classified as 3-ply to 4-ply, making it suitable for creating fabric with good stitch definition and drape.

Needles and Gauge

The pattern calls for knitting needles size 4 (3.5 mm). The working gauge is 23 stitches and 32 rows in Pattern B, measured over 10 x 10 centimeters (3.9 x 3.9 inches). Achieving this gauge is essential for obtaining the correct finished dimensions and ensuring the wave patterns display as intended.

Difficulty Level

This shawl is rated as intermediate difficulty, indicated by four filled circles on a five-circle difficulty scale. The intermediate classification reflects the pattern's use of row shortening, chart reading, and the coordination required to manage two different yarns while maintaining pattern accuracy. Knitters should be comfortable reading charts and executing slip stitches before beginning this project.