Drogo

Knitting
July 2021
Fingering (14 wpi) ?
26 stitches and 44 rows = 4 inches
in garter stitch
US 4 - 3.5 mm
711 - 733 yards (650 - 670 m)
One size: approximately 155cm/ 60 inches long and 40cm/ 16inches wide at widest part.
English
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This light summer wrap is based around squares:  a large central square is flanked on each side by additional squares, each one smaller than the last.  The strong geometric lines contrast with the soft curves of the cabling in the centre panel.  The finished shawl is approximately 155cm/ 60 inches long and 40cm/ 16 inches wide at widest part. You will need at least two different colours of yarn.

This wrap requires a range of techniques including: pinhole cast-on, knitting in the round, yarn over increases, 1-to-5 increases, single decreases through front and back loops, 5-to-1 decreases, slip stitch cabling, closed loop cabling, short rows, cast-off. The pinhole cast-on, 1-to-5 increases and decreases are described in the appendix of the pattern.  All cable stitches and other increase/ decrease stitches are fully defined.

Choosing a plied yarn will help the cable stand tall. If you want to emphasize the cables and geometric shaping of the wrap, but are happy to compromise on drape, sock yarns may be worth a look too. Softer fibres will result in lots of drape, but flat cables.

You need colours which contrast sufficiently to show the cable, but also are of a similar depth of colour that they can merge together for the background in the central square. Strong striping or colour changes will fight the cable. For the side squares, the colour options are more open. The wrap is constructed so that a striped yarn will arrange itself into concentric squares. As long as you have two distinct colourways for alternating squares, this would add to the visual illusion.

Changing the weight of the yarn is also a possibility. Using a heavier yarn will yield a larger wrap, a lighter yarn will yield a smaller wrap. Changing the yarn weight may impact how much yarn you require.

All squares are worked from the centre out. The centre square is worked first in the round, then the side squares are worked in short rows.