Cat Bordhi Dardanelles Wrap Knitting Pattern

Cat Bordhi Dardanelles Knit Shawl

What Is Being Made

The Dardanelles is a seamless, top-down knit shawl and wrap designed by Cat Bordhi. This versatile accessory can be worn multiple ways—draped as a traditional shawl with the point at the back, or shaped to hug the neck for a fitted appearance. The finished shawl measures 32 inches (81 cm) at the top edge when unstretched and 13 inches (33 cm) deep, but stretches dramatically to 60 inches (152 cm) across the top when fully extended, making it an adaptable layering piece suitable for various upper body shapes.

Knitting Techniques

This design employs several key techniques to create its distinctive character and meditative knitting experience:

• Top-down construction: The shawl is worked from the neckline downward, allowing knitters to try on the piece as it develops and easily customize the finished length.
• Seamless knitting: The entire shawl is worked in one continuous piece without seams, creating a smooth, professional finish.
• Worked flat: Despite being seamless, the shawl is knit flat rather than in the round, using a long circular needle.
• Cable techniques: Cable stitches are incorporated into the pattern, adding textural interest and visual depth.
• Short-row shaping: Short rows are used to create the three-dimensional drape and curve of the shawl, particularly at the upper edge.
• Progressive stitch reduction: The pattern involves working ribbing on progressively fewer stitches, which creates a meditative rhythm and produces the sensation of increasing knitting speed as the project nears completion.

Stitches and Stitch Pattern

The Dardanelles features a combination of ribbing and cable stitches as its primary pattern elements. Most of the knitting consists of k3, p3 ribbing (knit 3 stitches, purl 3 stitches in alternating sequence), which forms the foundation of the design. This meditative ribbing pattern is worked on decreasing numbers of stitches throughout the shawl, creating both visual interest and a soothing, rhythmic knitting experience. Cable stitches are integrated into the overall design to add dimension and textural contrast to the ribbed sections.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

Yarn: The pattern calls for Frog Tree Ewetopia, a blend of 50% superwash Merino and 50% fine Merino wool. This yarn is exceptionally springy and resilient, bouncing back to its original shape after stretching—a quality that makes the finished shawl highly functional and forgiving. The superwash component absorbs dye more intensely than regular Merino, creating a charming marled appearance in the finished fabric. The project requires 4 balls of yarn in denim colorway, with each ball containing 109 yards (50 grams).

Needles: Knitters should use size 7 (4.5 mm) circular needles measuring 32 to 40 inches (80 to 100 cm) in length. The pattern recommends selecting a needle size that produces bouncy, elastic ribbing in your hands, as this contributes to the shawl's characteristic stretch and recovery. For additional shaping at the upper edge, the pattern suggests starting with needles 2 sizes smaller than gauge size, switching to progressively larger needles at one-inch intervals until reaching the full gauge size.

Gauge and Finished Dimensions

The pattern is worked at a gauge of 20 stitches over 4 inches (10 cm) in unstretched k3, p3 ribbing. This gauge measurement is taken without stretching the fabric, which is important for accurate sizing. The finished shawl measures 32 inches (81 cm) wide at the top edge and 13 inches (33 cm) deep when unstretched. When fully stretched, the top edge expands to an impressive 60 inches (152 cm), demonstrating the remarkable elasticity provided by the Frog Tree Ewetopia yarn and the ribbed stitch pattern. The shawl includes four distinct stitch markers (labeled A, B, C, and D) to help track pattern repeats and shaping points throughout the construction.

Design Philosophy

Cat Bordhi designed the Dardanelles to combine a meditative knitting experience with a cooperative, forgiving yarn. The repetitive nature of the ribbing pattern, combined with the decreasing stitch count, creates a soothing rhythm that many knitters find