Swans Island Juliette Wrap Knitting Pattern

Swans Island Juliette Knitted Shawl

What is Being Made

The Juliette is a triangular knitted shawl designed as a versatile wrap. This seamless, top-down construction creates a finished piece measuring 39 inches wide and 16 inches in height. The shawl is worked flat on circular needles and features an elegant openwork lace pattern that adds visual interest and drape to the finished garment.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs several key knitting techniques to achieve its finished design:

• Top-down construction: The shawl begins at the center of the longest edge and is worked downward, with stitches increased throughout to shape the triangular silhouette.
• Seamless construction: No seaming is required, as the entire piece is worked as one continuous section.
• Worked flat: Although circular needles are used to accommodate the large number of stitches, the piece is worked back and forth in rows rather than in the round.
• Lace openwork: An intricate openwork pattern is incorporated, featuring yarn overs and decreases that create decorative holes throughout the fabric.
• Gauge-based shaping: Strategic increases are worked to expand the triangle shape while maintaining proper stitch alignment with the openwork pattern.

Stitches Used

The Juliette pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined in creative ways:

• Garter stitch: Used for the initial foundation edge, creating a textured, reversible base.
• Stockinette stitch: The primary stitch throughout most of the shawl, providing a smooth, classic fabric base.
• Yarn overs: Essential to the openwork pattern, these create the decorative eyelets characteristic of lace knitting.
• Pass slip stitch over: A decrease technique used in the openwork pattern to balance the yarn overs and create the lace motif.
• Knit and purl stitches: Combined strategically to form the openwork pattern rows, which alternate between right-side and wrong-side rows.

Materials

The Juliette pattern calls for specific materials to achieve the intended drape and finished dimensions:

• Yarn: One skein of Swans Island Ikat Collection in Firefly colorway (Twilight IFF203), which is 100% Organic Merino Wool, fingeringweight, totaling 100 grams and 525 yards.
• Needles: US size 6 (4mm) circular needle measuring 32 inches, or the size needed to obtain proper gauge; US size 9 (5.5mm) needle reserved for binding off.
• Notions: Stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and shaping increases, plus a yarn needle for weaving in ends.

Pattern Details and Construction Notes

The Juliette is classified as an Easy pattern and is available in one size. The pattern begins with a small cast-on of 3 stitches worked in garter stitch for 6 rows, establishing a stable foundation edge. After rotating the work, stitches are picked up along the edges to create the initial 9-stitch base. A set-up row establishes the shaping increases and marker placement, creating a center stitch that will be maintained throughout construction.

The main body of the shawl is created through a two-row repeat that increases 6 stitches every 2 rows. This systematic increase pattern ensures the shawl maintains proper proportions while expanding to its full triangular shape. The openwork pattern, which features a multiple of 3 stitches, is worked without additional increases, allowing the lace motif to develop clearly across the expanding fabric. The pattern notes that rows 1 and 2 of the increase sequence can be repeated as many times as desired to adjust the finished size, offering flexibility for customization.

The finished shawl is bound off loosely to maintain the drape and flexibility of the lace edges. Gauge is measured at 5½ stitches and 7¾ rows per inch in stockinette stitch using the smaller needle size. The pattern recommends checking gauge before beginning to ensure the desired fit and finished dimensions, as blocking may cause slight variations in measurements.