Valley Yarns Zoya Shawl Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Zoya Shawl: Luxurious Reversible Triangular Lace Shawl

What Is Being Made

The Zoya Shawl is a soft, luxurious triangular shawl designed by Kirsten Hipsky. This garment is totally reversible, making it a versatile accessory suitable for various styling options. The finished shawl measures approximately 56 inches long and 28 inches deep, providing generous coverage and drape. The design is worked sideways, allowing knitters to customize the final dimensions to their preference by adjusting when to begin the bind-off sequence.

Techniques Used

The Zoya Shawl employs lace and worked flat techniques, making it an ideal project for advanced beginners looking to expand their skills. The sideways construction method means the shawl grows progressively wider as you knit, with shaping built directly into the stitch pattern rather than requiring complex decreases or increases managed separately. This approach simplifies construction while creating an elegant finished piece.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The pattern features an easy Shetland lace stitch that forms the visual and structural foundation of the shawl. Key stitches used throughout include:

• Knit (K): The basic stitch used in garter stitch sections and lace rows
• Yarn over (yo): Creates the decorative openwork characteristic of lace patterns and generates increases
• Knit 2 together (k2tog): A right-leaning decrease used in the lace pattern
• Slip 1, knit 2 together, pass slipped stitch over (sk2p): A double decrease that creates more dramatic lace effects
• Garter stitch: Knit every row, used for edge sections and provides stability

The lace pattern repeats across rows 12 through 27, with variations in yarn over and decrease placement creating visual interest. The pattern includes edge stitches (K3 at the beginning of most rows) that maintain neat selvages, while the interior features the repeating lace motif with yarn overs and decreases balanced to maintain stitch count through most sections, with strategic increases on alternating rows to shape the triangle.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Zoya Shawl pattern calls for 4 skeins of Valley Yarns Deerfield yarn in the Burgundy colorway. This yarn is composed of 80% Baby Alpaca and 20% Silk, providing exceptional softness and a luxurious drape ideal for lace shawls. Each skein contains 50 grams and yields 109 yards, giving a total yardage of approximately 436 yards for the complete project.

The pattern specifies US size 10 (6.00mm) needles or the size needed to achieve proper gauge. The recommended gauge is approximately 4 stitches per 1 inch in garter stitch, though the pattern notes that exact gauge is not critical for this design, making it forgiving for knitters still refining their tension control.

Pattern Structure and Progression

The Zoya Shawl begins with a small cast-on of just 4 stitches. The first 11 rows establish the foundation, with increases occurring every other row to create the triangular base. Beginning at row 12, the pattern enters the main lace repeat section (rows 12–27), which is worked a total of thirteen times to build the shawl to approximately 1 inch less than the desired finished width. The pattern concludes with a final repeat of rows 12–16, reaching 116 stitches, followed by 6 rows of garter stitch knitting and a loose bind-off to finish the edges elegantly.