AMANO Carolina Shawl Wrap Knitting Pattern

AMANO Carolina Shawl

What is Being Made

The AMANO Carolina Shawl is a sophisticated triangular wrap designed by Martha Wissing. This intermediate-level knitting project creates a generously sized shawl that measures 73 inches (185 cm) in length, with a width ranging from 5½ inches (14 cm) at the narrow starting edge to 29 inches (74 cm) at the full width. The shawl is worked in a single size and provides elegant coverage for fall and winter seasons.

Techniques Used

This shawl employs several key knitting techniques to create its distinctive structure and visual interest:

• Bottom-Up Construction: The shawl begins at the narrow edge and increases progressively to reach full width, allowing knitters to try on the piece as it grows and customize the final length if desired.
• Seamless Worked Flat: The entire shawl is worked flat on circular needles without seaming, creating a smooth, continuous fabric from start to finish.
• Cable Work: A prominent cable panel measuring 5 inches (12.7 cm) wide after blocking forms the central design element. This panel features multiple cable variations including 6/6 Rib Right Cross, 6/6 Rib Left Cross, 6/6 Purl Rib Right Cross, and 6/6 Purl Rib Left Cross stitches, creating textured vertical interest throughout the shawl.
• Increases: Strategic increases are worked on specific rows to shape the triangular silhouette, with increases worked using M1K (make one knitwise) and M1P (make one purlwise) methods.

Stitches Used

The Carolina Shawl incorporates a variety of stitch techniques to build its sophisticated design:

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): Forms the main body of the shawl, providing a smooth, classic background that allows the cable panel to stand out prominently.
• Ribbed Stitches: The cable panel utilizes multiple rib variations, including knit-purl combinations that create textured, dimensional cables. These ribs are crossed using cable needles to create the twisted rope-like effects characteristic of cable knitting.
• Garter Stitch Elements: Edge stitches and selvedge treatments help create clean, finished edges throughout the piece.
• Slip Stitches: Used at the beginning of rows (sl2 wyif and sl2 wyib) to create neat, professional-looking edges.

Materials and Tools

The AMANO Carolina Shawl requires specific materials to achieve the intended finished measurements and drape:

• Yarn: 4 hanks of AMANO PUNA (100 grams per hank) in colorway #4008 Santa Catalina. AMANO PUNA is a premium yarn choice that provides excellent stitch definition for cable work.
• Needles: A 24-inch length circular knitting needle in size 6 (4 mm), or the size needed to obtain proper gauge.
• Additional Tools: A cable needle (cn) for crossing stitches in the cable panel, and stitch markers to clearly identify pattern sections and increases.

Gauge and Finishing

Achieving proper gauge is essential for this project's success. The pattern specifies a gauge of 21 stitches and 30 rows over 4 inches (10.2 cm) in the pattern stitch, with stockinette stitch gauge at 22 stitches and 28 rows over 4 inches (10.2 cm). The cable panel measures exactly 5 inches (12.7 cm) wide after blocking. The shawl is worked over 29 complete repeats of the 16-row cable panel pattern, resulting in a finished piece with 167 stitches at full width. Blocking is recommended to achieve the specified finished measurements and to allow the cables to fully develop their dimensional character.