Malabrigo Floritura Wrap Knitting Pattern

Malabrigo Floritura Knit Shawl

What is Being Made

The Floritura is an elegant crescent-shaped knit shawl designed by Laura Reinbach. Named for its meaning of "a flourish," this wrap features a sweeping silhouette that drapes gently around the neck and cascades down the shoulders in two graceful points. The finished shawl measures an impressive 81 inches (206 cm) in wingspan with a depth of 17 inches (43 cm), making it a substantial layering piece suitable for adding flowing elegance to any outfit.

Knitting Techniques

The Floritura employs a top-down construction method, beginning with a small cast-on and expanding outward through strategic increases. This approach allows knitters to easily customize the final size by continuing the increase pattern for additional rows. The shawl is worked flat on circular needles, using the needle's length to accommodate the growing stitch count rather than working in the round.

The shaping technique relies on a consistent increase pattern: 2 increases are worked at the beginning and end of every right-side row (4 total increases per RS row) and 1 increase at the beginning and end of every wrong-side row (2 total increases per WS row). This creates the characteristic crescent shape and allows for customization without altering the structural integrity of the design.

Stitches and Lace Details

The body of the shawl is worked primarily in garter stitch, a fundamental knitting stitch created by knitting every row. This textured stitch provides structure and drape while remaining accessible to knitters of various skill levels. The gauge after blocking is 24 stitches and 36 rows over 4 inches (10 cm) in garter stitch.

The defining feature of the Floritura is its delicate lace border, which adds an intricate finishing touch to the shawl's edges. The lace pattern incorporates several advanced stitches:

• Yarn overs (yo) – creating decorative holes that characterize lace knitting
• Knit two together (k2tog) – a right-leaning decrease
• Slip, knit, pass slipped stitch over (skp) – a left-leaning decrease
• Slip 2 stitches together knit-wise, knit 1, pass slipped stitches over (sl2-k1-p2sso) – a centered double decrease
• Kyok stitch – a specialized increase creating 2 stitches from 1 by working k1, yarn over, k1 all into the same stitch

The lace border is structured as a multiple of 12 stitches plus 6 edge stitches (3 stitches on each end), allowing for consistent pattern repeats around the shawl's perimeter.

Materials and Tools

The Floritura is designed to be knit in Malabrigo Mora, a luxurious yarn composed of 100% mulberry silk. This fiber choice contributes to the shawl's gentle drape and elegant appearance. The pattern calls for 5 skeins of Malabrigo Mora, each containing 225 yards (205 meters) and weighing 50 grams, for a total yardage of approximately 1,125 yards.

The recommended colorway is Zarzamora #863, though the pattern can be adapted to other Malabrigo Mora colors based on personal preference.

Essential tools include:

• US Size 5 (3.75 mm) circular needles, 40 inches (102 cm) in length, sized appropriately to hold a large number of stitches as the shawl expands
• Stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and shaping increases
• Tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends upon completion

The pattern notes that gauge is not critical for this design, though variations will affect final measurements. Knitters seeking a larger or smaller finished shawl can easily adjust by working additional or fewer rows before beginning the lace border, provided they maintain the lace border's stitch multiple requirements.