Bird Song Shawl by Ksenia Naidyon

Bird Song Shawl

Knitting
September 2024
Fingering (14 wpi) ?
21 stitches and 40 rows = 4 inches
in Garter Stitch, Blocked
US 6 - 4.0 mm
800 - 900 yards (732 - 823 m)
Depth 19" / 49cm, Wingspan 67" / 170cm + tassels
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Similarly to how a combination of trills, chirps, warbles, and whistles creates an enchanting bird song, this design alternates different textures to form a flowy shawl full of visual interest.

Bird Song is completed in a V-shape which is easy to knit and very comfortable to wear. Light weight and generous size make it a lovely addition to transitional weather wardrobes. Alternating stripe patterns make this a perfect “just one more row” project.

This pattern was designed to highlight the beauty of an ombré mini-skein set from Peninsula Yarn by combining it with one skein of solid-colored yarn. It will also work great as a stash-buster, as almost anything can be used as a contrast color for stripes - from that special variegated skein to a random collection of minis.

Size

  • Wingspan (measured straight from tip to tip on the shawl laying flat) 63” / 160cm + tassels
  • Depth (along the diagonal shaping in the center) 19” / 49cm

Yarn

  • Each Main Color (MC) and Contrast Color (CC): 438yds / 400m of fingering weight yarn
  • For MC, choose a solid or a tonal colorway. For CC, pick a mini-skein set, a single skein of variegated, a contrasting solid, a variety of scraps/minis, or a color changing yarn
  • Sample shawl: MC - Glitter Fingering from Peninsula Yarn (75% superwash merino, 20% nylon, 5% gold stellina; 3.5oz / 100g, 438yds / 400m) in color True White; CC - an ombré mini-skein set of Glitter FIngering from Peninsula Yarn (75% superwash merino, 20% nylon, 5% gold stellina; 5 minis, 0.7oz / 20g, 87yds / 80m each) in color Fuchsia
  • Get your kits from Peninsula Yarn here!

Needles

  • US 6 / 4mm needles on a long cable or the size needed to obtain gauge
  • A cable needle, a dpn, or a large tapestry needle of matching size for wrapped stitches

Gauge

  • 23 sts and 46 rows in 4” / 10cm in Garter Stitch, unblocked
  • 21 sts and 40 rows in 4” / 10cm in Garter Stitch, blocked
  • The gauge is not crucial for this pattern, but it will affect the required yardage and the finished size of the shawl

Construction

  • The shawl is knit in the shape of a modified triangle from the top down. To achieve this V-shaping, design starts with casting on more stitches than usual at the top of the shawl.

  • For the body of the shawl, increases are made at each side and along the center as for the regular triangular shaping.

  • The shawl is knit as a sequence of stripes in six stitch patterns: Chirp, Trill, and Warble Stitches plus more traditional Reverse Stockinette, Garter, and Purl Ridge. Video tutorials for unusual stitches are provided.

  • Optional tassels can be added for a more playful look.