Madelinetosh Catherine's Shawl Wrap Knitting Pattern

Catherine's Shawl by Madelinetosh

What is Being Made

Catherine's Shawl is a seamless, triangular wrap designed to provide elegant coverage and warmth. The finished shawl measures 25 inches in height and 51 inches from tip to tip (after wet blocking), making it a generous accessory suitable for layering or draping across the shoulders. The design features a decorative ruffle trim that adds visual interest and texture to the finished piece.

Techniques Used

This shawl is constructed using seamless knitting techniques, worked flat on circular needles rather than in the round. The design employs a strategic side-to-side construction method, where the main body is knitted first, and then stitches are picked up along an edge to work the ruffle trim flat. This approach allows for precise shaping and creates a unified, professional finish without the need for seaming.

The shawl uses a two-phase stitch pattern: an increase phase that builds the triangular shape from a small cast-on, followed by a decrease phase that tapers the shawl back down to its finished dimensions. This symmetrical approach creates a balanced, wearable garment with intentional shaping.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette stitch (st st): The primary stitch throughout the shawl, created by alternating knit rows on the right side with purl rows on the wrong side, producing a smooth, classic fabric
• Knit (k): The fundamental stitch forming the base of the stockinette pattern
• Purl (p): The reverse of the knit stitch, used on wrong-side rows to create stockinette texture
• Knit two together (k2tog): A right-leaning decrease stitch used during the decrease rows to shape the shawl
• Purl two together (p2tog): A decrease stitch worked on wrong-side rows to maintain symmetrical shaping
• Knit one front and back (k1f&b): An increase stitch that creates new stitches by working into the same loop twice
• Make one (m1): A decorative increase worked by lifting the bar between stitches and knitting through the back loop, creating a nearly invisible new stitch

Materials

The shawl is knitted using Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light yarn, requiring two 420-yard skeins for a total of 840 yards. The sample shown features the Moorland colorway, a forest green shade that provides rich, sophisticated color. Merino light yarn offers a soft, breathable fiber ideal for shawls, providing drape and comfort without excessive weight.

Needles required include a US 4 (3.5 mm) circular needle for the main body, worked at a gauge of 24 stitches and 30 rows over 4 inches in stockinette stitch, and a US 5 (3.75 mm) circular needle for the initial cast-on and increase rows. Circular needles are used despite flat construction, allowing for easy stitch management as the piece grows. A yarn needle for weaving in ends completes the notions list.