Wonderland Yarns Compass Arrow Shawl Wrap Knitting Pattern

Compass Arrow Shawl by Wonderland Yarns

Project Overview

The Compass Arrow Shawl is a chevron-patterned knit wrap designed by Stephanie Shiman and published by frabjous fibers. This seamless, flat-worked shawl combines lace elements with striped colorwork to create a directional design that measures approximately 72 inches across the wingspan and 27 inches at its widest point. The pattern uses a clever combination of one full-size skein and three coordinating mini skeins to build visual interest through strategic color placement.

What You'll Create

This is a triangular shawl worked from the top down in a seamless construction. The design features a central chevron motif with ridges that create definition and structure. The shawl incorporates eyelets throughout the pattern, which are created using yarn overs and decreases, giving the piece an airy, lace-like quality. The color work is integrated strategically, with the largest contrasting color section appearing in the final portion of the shawl for maximum visual impact.

Techniques Used

• Lace knitting: The pattern employs yarn overs and decreases to create eyelets and openwork sections that add texture and visual interest to the finished shawl.
• Seamless construction: Worked flat on circular needles without seaming, allowing for continuous, uninterrupted knitting from cast-on to bind-off.
• Stripes and colorwork: The shawl incorporates a main color with three contrasting color sections, allowing knitters to create dynamic color blocking within the chevron pattern.
• Chevron shaping: Directional decreases and yarn overs create the characteristic arrow or chevron ridges that give the shawl its distinctive compass-inspired design.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques

• Knit stitch (K): The foundation stitch used throughout the shawl.
• Purl stitch (P): Used on wrong-side rows to create stockinette stitch in the body sections.
• Yarn over (YO): Creates the eyelets and increases that shape the shawl's expansion and lace pattern.
• Central double decrease (CDD): Slip 2 stitches together as if to knit, knit one, pass slipped stitches over. This centered decrease creates the directional ridge lines that form the compass arrow motif.
• Knit two together (K2tog): Used in eyelet rows to pair with yarn overs for lace pattern formation.

Materials and Specifications

Yarn: Wonderland Yarns "Mad Hatter" sport weight yarn in 100% superwash merino fiber. The Compass Kit includes one 4-ounce skein containing 344 yards for the main color, plus three 1-ounce mini skeins each containing 86 yards for contrasting colors. Knitters should assign their mini skeins as CC1, CC2, and CC3, with CC3 being the most contrasting or favorite color, as it features the largest color section in the finished shawl.

Needles: US size 6 circular needles measuring 24 inches or longer to accommodate the increasing stitch count as the shawl expands. Needle size may be adjusted to achieve the specified gauge.

Gauge: 21 stitches and 29 rows equal 4 inches in stockinette stitch. Achieving proper gauge is important, as it ensures sufficient yardage for each color section and proper finished measurements.

Pattern Characteristics

The Compass Arrow Shawl begins with a small cast-on of 3 stitches and expands symmetrically through strategic yarn overs and centered decreases. The pattern is worked in sections: an initial expansion phase that increases to 87 stitches, followed by alternating ridge and eyelet rows that create the chevron texture. The use of markers helps track the central decrease line that forms the arrow's point. The integration of contrasting colors at specific points in the pattern creates visual stripes that follow the shawl's natural shape, with the largest color block appearing toward the completion of the project for dramatic effect.