Lana Grossa Shawl Wrap Knitting Pattern

Lana Grossa Shawl in Silkhair

What Is Being Made

This is a rectangular shawl measuring approximately 194 cm long by 53 cm wide, created using the Lana Grossa Silkhair yarn. The shawl is designed as a sophisticated wrap featuring a color-blocking technique that transitions from one color to another across the length of the piece. This elegant accessory is worked flat on circular needles and finished without fringe, making it a refined addition to any wardrobe.

Techniques Used

The shawl is constructed using several key knitting techniques that create its distinctive appearance and structure. The piece is worked flat on circular needles, which provides stability for the wider fabric. The primary construction method is bottom-up, meaning the shawl is cast on at one end and worked toward the opposite end. A seamless construction eliminates the need for seaming, as the entire shawl is created as one continuous piece.

The most distinctive technique employed is intarsia color-blocking, which creates the gradual color transition featured in this design. Rather than carrying yarn across the back of the work, the intarsia method uses separate balls of yarn for each color block. As the knitter progresses through the pattern, the proportion of Dark Grey stitches decreases while the proportion of Pearl Beige stitches increases, creating a subtle and sophisticated color shift. At each color change point, the yarns are twisted around each other to prevent holes from forming in the fabric.

Stitches Used

The shawl is primarily constructed in stockinette stitch (St st), which creates a smooth, classic fabric with a distinctive V-pattern texture on the right side and horizontal bumps on the wrong side. Stockinette stitch is achieved by knitting all stitches on right-side rows and purling all stitches on wrong-side rows.

A two-stitch selvage is worked at each edge of the shawl to create neat, finished side edges. On right-side rows, this selvage is created by knitting one stitch, slipping one stitch purlwise with yarn in back, working the pattern across, then slipping one stitch purlwise with yarn in back before knitting the final stitch. On wrong-side rows, the process is reversed with yarn positioned in front for the slipped stitches. This selvage technique ensures that the shawl edges remain tidy and professional-looking throughout the knitting process.

Materials

The shawl is knitted using Lana Grossa Silkhair, a luxurious yarn blend composed of 70% superkid mohair and 30% silk. This fiber combination creates an exceptionally soft, lightweight, and lustrous fabric ideal for delicate shawls and wraps. The yarn provides excellent drape and a subtle sheen from the silk content.

Two colors of Silkhair are required: 100 grams of Dark Grey (color 12) and 75 grams of Pearl Beige (color 123). The yarn has a yardage of 210 meters per 25-gram ball, allowing for the creation of this substantial rectangular shawl.

The project requires two circular needles in size 4.5 mm, each 80 cm long, for the main knitting. A size 6 mm circular needle is used for the initial cast-on row to create a looser foundation edge. Additionally, a size 4.5 mm crochet hook is listed in the materials, though its specific use in finishing is not detailed in the provided pattern excerpt.

Gauge and Construction Details

The pattern is worked to a gauge of 20 stitches and 26 rows over 10 by 10 centimeters in stockinette stitch on size 4.5 mm needles. Maintaining this gauge is essential for achieving the intended finished dimensions of the shawl.

Construction begins with casting on 110 stitches using the larger 6 mm needle with Dark Grey yarn, then switching to the 4.5 mm needle to work the body. The shawl is worked in stockinette stitch with the two-stitch selvage maintained at each edge until the piece measures 71 centimeters from the cast-on edge. At this point, the color-blocking sequence begins, with Pearl Beige gradually replacing Dark Grey across successive right-side rows. Once all stitches are worked in Pearl Beige, two additional rows are completed before binding off loosely to maintain the shawl's drape and flexibility.