Twist Collective Montpelier Wrap Knitting Pattern

Montpelier Shawl by Marnie MacLean

What Is Being Made

Montpelier is a three-quarter circle shawl designed for knitters seeking a sophisticated, colorwork project with dynamic construction. This downloadable knitting pattern from Twist Collective features a radius of approximately 31 inches (78.5 cm) and showcases a carefully orchestrated progression of colors and stitch patterns that build visual interest from the center outward.

Construction Method and Techniques

This shawl is worked seamlessly from the center outward in a top-down approach, beginning at the middle point and expanding to create the three-quarter circle shape. The construction is divided into distinct sections, each introducing new techniques and color combinations:

• Lace Section: The first half of the shawl features a lace pattern worked across three shades of blue. This section increases every 6th row, creating the gradual expansion necessary for the circular silhouette.
• Striped Ruffle Section: Once the lace section is complete, the stitch count is doubled and three shades of green are introduced in a striped pattern. This transition creates a ribbed ruffle effect that adds texture and dimension.
• Variegated Finish: A variegated colorway is joined for the final row of the ruffle and the decorative bind-off, unifying all the colors used throughout the project.
• Picot Bind-Off: The pattern concludes with a picot bind-off, which creates a flexible, decorative edge. While labor-intensive, this bind-off prevents the ruffle edge from becoming constrictive and provides a polished finishing detail.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

Montpelier employs cables and lace stitches as primary stitch elements, with the pattern worked flat using chart-based instructions. The pattern includes a Set-up Chart showing both right-side (RS) and wrong-side (WS) rows, while the Main Chart displays right-side rows only. Knitters read the Main Chart from right to left on RS rows and left to right on WS rows, with row numbers clearly marked on the appropriate sides of the chart. The ribbed ruffle is created through strategic stitch increases and the striped colorwork pattern.

Materials and Yardage

The recommended yarn is Prism Merino Mia in the Private Palette Dyed colorway, a collection dyed exclusively for WEBS. The complete set contains 1330 yards (1216 meters) of 100% Merino across 7 skeins, totaling 14 ounces (397 grams). The color palette includes seven distinct shades labeled as New England Spring 1 through 6, plus a New England Spring Multi variegated option. The pattern provides ample yardage to complete the entire three-quarter circle shawl with small amounts of each color remaining.

Needles and Gauge

This project requires a US Size 5 (3.75 mm) circular needle measuring 60 inches (150 cm) or longer. Knitters should adjust needle size as needed to achieve the correct gauge specified in the pattern.

Pattern Flexibility and Modifications

The Montpelier pattern offers flexibility for knitters with varying yardage amounts. If working with less yarn than the full 1330 yards, knitters can substitute 6 repeats of the Main Chart instead of 9 repeats to produce a half-circle shawl using approximately two-thirds of the yardage. This modification requires adjusting the Set-up Chart accordingly. Additionally, if desired, the Border section can be worked until all green skeins are exhausted before proceeding to the bind-off, allowing for customization based on available materials.