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BARNESMORE SHAWL is a fun and easy knit that I designed to make the most of those single skeins left over from larger projects, mini skeins, as well as colourful handspun yarn that can sometimes be tricky to find a use for.

Named after a beautiful Barnesmore gap – a mountain pass in the Bluestack Mountains of Donegal, as the idea for this shawl came to me as I was hiking these mountains with my dog on a chilly and windy day. As the cold winds were sweeping through the hills, I found myself wishing for something warm and cosy to wrap around my neck, and the pattern for this shawl was born. 

This shawl is knitted sideways, from tip to tip, forming a shallow triangle. You can use ANY YARN WEIGHT, work it at ANY GAUGE, and knit it to WHATEVER SIZE YOU LIKE – there are no limitations with this pattern!

I also love that this shawl does not really have a right and wrong side – both the sides have an interesting and distinctive pattern, so you can wear it either way!

YARN and YARDAGE:
Sample 1: 2 x 100 gram skeins of DK weight yarn
Col. A: Calma (100% Hebridean wool) from Uist wool, 100 grams – 240 metres / 262 yards
Col. B: Alba (100% wool, lleyn, soay and manx loaghtan) from Uist wool, 100 grams - 220 metres / 241 yards

Sample 2: 2 x 100 grams of fingering weight yarn
Col. A: Tukuwool fingering in col. Repo (100% Finnish sheep wool), 100 grams – 370 metres / 405 yards
Col. B: handspun 2 ply (100% Galway wool), fibre hand dyed by Ballyhoura fibres, 100 grams – 330 metres / 361 yards

Sample 3: 2 x 50 grams of fingering weight yarn
Col. A: Ovis sock from Woollentwine Fiberstudio (50% Cheviot, 50% Jacob), 100 grams – 375 metres / 410 yards) in col, Undyed grey
Col. B: Hearth sock from Woolly Mammoth Fiber Co in col. Cognac (50% Jacob, 50% BFL), 100 grams – 330 metres / 361 yards

Sample 4: 2 x 25 grams of fingering weight yarn
Col. A: 2ply Jumper Weight from Jamieson & Smith in col. FC68 mix (100% Shetland wool), 25 grams – 105 metres / 114 yards
Col. B: 2ply Jumper Weight from Jamieson & Smith in col. FC38 mix (100% Shetland wool), 25 grams – 105 metres / 114 yards

Sample 5: 300 grams of worsted weight yarn, Soft Donegal Merino tweed singles (100% merino wool), 100 grams – 380 metres / 416 yards, yarn held double

Col. A – 5507 Swilly – used 150 grams
Col. B1 – 5510 Macean – used 50 grams
Col. B2 – 5585 Sunset – used 50 grams
Col. B3 – 5601 Rust – used 50 grams

YARN SUBSTITUTIONS: any yarn

GAUGE AND NEEDLES:

Sample 1 – 18 sts x 28 rows using 4 mm / US 6 needles

Sample 2 – 20 sts x 38 rows using 3 mm / US 2.5 needles

Sample 3 – 24 sts x 40 rows using 3.5 mm / US 3 needles

Sample 4 – 22 sts x 40 rows using 3.5 mm / US 3 needles

Sample 5 – 18 sts x 26 rows using 4.5 mm/ US 7 needles

Gauge is not crucial for this pattern however, please note, that if your gauge differs a lot, it will affect your yarn consumption and final size of the shawl
Please note that needle size is just a suggestion, you might need to change the size of your needles to achieve gauge

NOTIONS:
Tapestry needle, measuring tape, scissors