Rowan Shawl Wrap Knitting Pattern

Rowan Shawl by Martin Storey

What is Being Made

The Rowan Shawl is a lightweight, elegantly proportioned wrap designed for versatile everyday wear. This seamless knitted shawl measures 44.5 cm wide by 226 cm long, making it an ideal accessory for layering or draping. The design combines two complementary yarns to create visual interest and texture throughout the piece.

Techniques Used

This shawl is worked flat on straight needles using seamless construction methods. The pattern employs fundamental knitting techniques suitable for skill level 1, making it accessible to beginners while producing a sophisticated finished garment. The construction involves working from a cast-on edge through repeating pattern rows until the desired length is achieved, followed by casting off in pattern to maintain consistent edge finishing.

Stitches and Pattern Details

The shawl features a classic rib pattern as its foundation, alternating knit and purl stitches to create vertical texture and elasticity. The six-row repeat pattern includes:

• Rows 1–3: Standard 2x2 rib (knit 2, purl 2 repeat) worked in Summerlite DK
• Row 4: Rib pattern with wrapped stitches, where yarn is wrapped around needles twice to create elongated loops
• Row 5: Stitches worked with dropped extra loops, creating a distinctive textured effect
• Row 6: Return to standard 2x2 rib

This six-row repeat is worked continuously until the shawl reaches approximately 225 cm in length, then finished with three additional rows of basic rib and a patterned cast-off edge.

Materials and Gauge

The shawl is knitted using 3¼mm (US 3) needles with a combination of two Rowan yarns: Summerlite DK in White 465 (5 x 50gm) and Kidsilk Haze in White 612 (2 x 25gm). The working tension is 32 stitches and 30 rows to 10 cm measured over the rib pattern. The blend of a structured DK-weight yarn with the delicate Kidsilk Haze creates a fabric with both body and drape, resulting in a shawl that is both wearable and refined.