Twist Collective Gloxinia Wrap Knitting Pattern

Twist Collective Gloxinia Knit Shawl

What is Being Made

The Gloxinia is a top-down knit shawl designed by Lana Jois and published by Twist Collective. This seamless wrap features a triangular silhouette with two available finished sizes: 60 inches (152.5 cm) wingspan with 15 inches (38 cm) depth, or 76 inches (193 cm) wingspan with 22 inches (59 cm) depth. The shawl is worked flat on circular needles, making it an accessible project for knitters seeking an elegant layering piece.

Construction and Techniques

The Gloxinia employs a top-down construction method with strategic increases worked on every row to create the characteristic triangular shawl shape. The pattern uses 2-stitch increases on right-side rows and 4-stitch increases on wrong-side rows at the edges, allowing the shawl to expand gradually from a small cast-on. This seamless, worked-flat approach eliminates the need for seaming and provides flexibility in customizing the final dimensions.

The shawl features two distinct sections: a decorative lace border worked first, followed by the body. Both sections include lace stitch patterns that can be followed either from charts or written row-by-row instructions, accommodating different knitter preferences. The lace border is worked twice to establish the shawl's perimeter, while the body section is repeated three times to build depth and create the finished proportions.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques

The Gloxinia incorporates fundamental knitting stitches combined with lace elements:

• Knit and purl stitches form the structural base of the pattern
• Yarn overs (yo) create the lace openwork characteristic of decorative shawls
• Increases worked through yarn overs and strategic stitch placement drive the top-down expansion
• Slip stitches and purl two together (p2tog) used in the bind-off sequence to create a finished edge
• Backwards loop cast-on employed during the bind-off process for provisional stitches

Materials and Tools

The suggested yarn for the Gloxinia is Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca Silk, a luxury blend composed of 50% alpaca and 50% silk. This fiber combination provides softness, drape, and subtle sheen ideal for a finished shawl. The pattern specifies 3 skeins for the smaller 60-inch size or 4 skeins for the larger 76-inch size, with each skein containing 146 yards (133.5 meters) and weighing 1¾ ounces (50 grams). The sample shown was knit in colorway #145 Guava.

Needles required include a Size 6 US (4 mm) circular needle measuring 48 inches (120 cm) long for all sizes. The longer needle length accommodates the expanding stitch count as the shawl grows. Knitters should adjust needle size if necessary to achieve the specified gauge of 20 stitches and 24 rows over 4 inches (10 cm) in pattern. Additional notions include a tapestry needle for weaving in ends during finishing.

Pattern Format

The Gloxinia is available as a downloadable PDF pattern from Twist Collective. The pattern provides both charted instructions and written row-by-row directions for the border and body sections, allowing knitters to choose their preferred method of following the pattern. This dual-format approach increases accessibility for knitters with varying experience levels and learning styles.