Teeter Totter Shawl Wrap Knitting Pattern

Teeter Totter Shawl in Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine

What is Being Made

The Teeter Totter Shawl is a knitted wrap designed by Julia Farwell-Clay. This intermediate-level shawl features a generous finished width of approximately 84 inches at its widest point with a depth of 21 inches, making it a substantial accessory suitable for layering or wearing as a traditional shawl. The design showcases a striking colorwork pattern created through intarsia striping techniques.

Techniques Used

Intarsia Colorwork: The primary technique featured in this pattern is intarsia, a colorwork method used for large blocks of solid color. Rather than carrying yarn across the back of the work, intarsia involves exchanging colors along each row according to stitch count. This technique prevents the bulky yarn buildup that would occur with traditional stranding methods, resulting in a lighter, more drape-friendly finished fabric.

Yarn Management: When changing colors in intarsia work, the new color is brought up from underneath the old strand, and the yarns are twisted together on the wrong side of the fabric. This twisting prevents holes from forming at color transitions. On right-side rows, the twist occurs behind the knitting; on wrong-side rows, it occurs in front.

Garter Stitch Tab: The shawl begins with a garter stitch tab, a common foundation technique in shawl construction that provides a neat edge and stable base for the main body of the piece.

Provisional Cast On: The pattern uses a provisional cast-on method with waste yarn, allowing for a seamless join or live stitch pickup later in the construction process.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The primary stitch throughout the shawl, creating a smooth, flat fabric with characteristic V-shaped columns on the right side
• Garter Stitch: Used for the initial tab, this stitch creates horizontal ridges and is worked by knitting every row

Materials

Yarn: The Teeter Totter Shawl is designed to be worked in Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine, a luxury yarn blend. The pattern calls for five different colorways, with one hank (100 grams) of each:

• #12178 Grapefruit Mix (CC1)
• #12177 Lime Mix (CC2)
• #12180 Grove Mix (CC3)
• #1294 Turquoise Mix (CC4)
• #12171 Berry Pie Mix (CC5)

Needles and Tools: The pattern requires straight or circular knitting needles in size 3 (3.25 mm), or whatever size is needed to achieve the specified gauge. A size 3.25 mm (D-3) crochet hook is also needed, likely for finishing or provisional cast-on work. Additional materials include waste yarn for the provisional cast-on method, stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats, and a yarn needle for weaving in ends.

Gauge: The pattern specifies a gauge of 20 stitches and 30 rows over 4 inches in stockinette stitch after blocking. Achieving proper gauge is essential for obtaining the correct finished measurements and is recommended to be checked before beginning the project.

Pattern Origin

This pattern is from Berroco's Portfolio Vol. 2 and was copyrighted in 2016. It is available as a downloadable PDF and represents an intermediate-level knitting project suitable for knitters with experience in basic techniques who are ready to explore colorwork methods.