Stacy Charles Fine Yarns Karlie Shawl Wrap Knitting Pattern

Stacy Charles Fine Yarns Karlie Shawl

What is Being Made

The Karlie Shawl is a luxurious knitted wrap designed by Irina Poludnenko, created in one size with generous dimensions of 83¼ inches (211.5 cm) at its widest point and 16¾ inches (42.5 cm) at its longest point. This elegant shawl is worked seamlessly from the bottom up, making it an ideal accessory for layering and draping.

Techniques Used

This shawl employs several advanced knitting techniques to create its sophisticated construction:

• Bottom-Up Construction: The shawl is knitted from the cast-on edge upward, allowing for easy customization of length if desired
• Seamless Knitting: Worked in the round on a circular needle without seaming, creating a polished, continuous fabric
• Worked Flat: Despite using a circular needle, the piece is worked back and forth in flat rows rather than in continuous rounds
• Short Rows with Wrap and Turn (W&T): A special technique where stitches are wrapped and turned to create shaping without visible holes. On subsequent rows, the wraps are picked up and worked together with their corresponding stitches to hide them
• Striped Colorwork: The pattern incorporates three distinct luxury yarns in coordinating platinum colorways to create visual interest and texture variation
• Increases: Strategic increases using the k1-f/b (knit one front and back) technique shape the shawl's triangular silhouette

Stitches Used

Garter Stitch forms the primary fabric of this shawl. Garter stitch is created by knitting every stitch on every row, whether working on the right side or wrong side. This fundamental stitch creates a reversible, textured fabric with horizontal ridges that showcase the luxury yarns beautifully. The simplicity of garter stitch allows the sophisticated fiber content and sheen of the materials to become the focal point of the design.

Additional stitch techniques include the k1-f/b increase, which involves knitting into the front and back of a single stitch to add one stitch per row, creating the gradual widening of the shawl's triangular shape.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The Karlie Shawl showcases three premium yarns from the S. Charles Collezione line, all in the elegant platinum (#40) colorway:

• S. Charles Collezione LUNA: 2 balls of this luxurious blend containing 71% super kid mohair, 20% silk, and 9% lurex. Each ball weighs 0.88 oz (25g) and provides 232 yards (212.5 meters) of yarn. The mohair content creates an airy, soft drape, while the silk and lurex add sheen and subtle sparkle
• S. Charles Collezione STELLA: 2 balls of this shimmering yarn composed of 74% silk and 26% lurex. Each ball weighs 0.88 oz (25g) and yields 76.5 yards (70 meters). The high silk content combined with lurex creates a luminous, elegant finish
• S. Charles Collezione CRYSTAL: 2 balls of this textured yarn made from 85% polyester and 15% cotton. Each ball weighs 0.88 oz (25g) and provides 144 yards (131 meters). This yarn adds structural support and a subtle matte contrast to the lustrous fibers

Needles and Tools

The Karlie Shawl is knitted using one size 9 (5.5mm) circular needle measuring 32 inches (80 cm) in length. The circular needle accommodates the large cast-on of 200 stitches and allows for comfortable flat knitting. Additional tools include stitch markers placed every 40 stitches to help track the short-row shaping sections, and a yarn needle for weaving in ends upon completion.

Gauge

The pattern specifies a gauge of 14 stitches and 28 rows over 4 inches (10 cm) measured in garter stitch. Achieving the correct gauge is essential to ensure the shawl reaches its intended finished dimensions and drapes properly. Knitters are advised to knit a gauge swatch before beginning the project.