Medina Shawl Wrap Knitting Pattern

Medina Shawl in Juniper Moon Farm Moonshine

What Is Being Made

The Medina Shawl is a top-down triangle shawl from The Moroccan Collection, designed by Kathleen Dames. This intermediate-level knit features a wide triangular silhouette with a finished wingspan of 60 inches (152.5 cm) and a center spine measuring 28 inches (71 cm), making it a generously sized wrap suitable for layering and draping.

Design and Colorwork

This three-color shawl showcases thick horizontal stripes inspired by the colors of the spice market. The design combines multiple stitch techniques to create visual interest and texture throughout the piece. The color palette uses Juniper Moon Farm Moonshine yarn in three distinct shades: Chestnut (main color), Sunflower (contrast color 1), and Mulberry (contrast color 2), creating a warm, earthy aesthetic with vibrant accents.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

The Medina Shawl employs several key knitting techniques that define its construction and appearance:

• Top-Down Construction: The shawl is worked from the top downward, beginning with a Garter Tab cast-on. This method allows the knitter to try on the shawl as it grows and adjust the final size if needed.
• Chevron Lace Stitch: Bands of chevron lace are integrated throughout the design, creating delicate openwork patterns. The chevron lace repeat is worked over 16 stitches plus 1, alternating between knit and purl rows. This stitch pattern features yarn overs (yo) and decreases including slip-slip-knit (ssk) and the centered double decrease (s2kp2), which creates the characteristic pointed chevron motif.
• Garter Stitch Stripes: Alternating bands of garter stitch provide textural contrast to the lacy sections. Garter stitch is created by knitting every row, producing horizontal ridges that frame and define the chevron lace sections.
• Increases: The shawl incorporates strategic increases on both right-side and wrong-side rows—four increases on every RS row and two on every WS row—which create the wide triangular shape while maintaining even shaping.
• Picot Bind-Off: The finished edge features a decorative picot bind-off, which adds an ornamental, scalloped detail to the perimeter of the shawl. This bind-off technique creates small loops along the edge, providing a polished, lace-like finish.

Materials and Tools

The Medina Shawl requires three 100-gram skeins of Juniper Moon Farm Moonshine yarn—one skein each in Chestnut, Sunflower, and Mulberry. A US size 10 (6mm) circular needle measuring 32 inches (81.25 cm) in length is necessary to accommodate the large number of stitches as the shawl expands. Additional notions include stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats, a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends, and blocking supplies to achieve the finished gauge.

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern specifies a gauge of 13 stitches and 16 rows over 4 inches (10 cm) in stockinette stitch, measured after blocking. Achieving proper gauge is essential for obtaining the correct finished measurements and ensuring the shawl drapes appropriately.

Skill Level

Rated as an intermediate project, the Medina Shawl is suitable for knitters with foundational skills who are comfortable working lace patterns, managing multiple colors, and executing various decrease techniques. The combination of chevron lace and color changes requires attention to pattern reading and stitch accuracy.