Shiftling by Paola Albergamo

Shiftling

Knitting
December 2025
both are used in this pattern
Fingering (14 wpi) ?
20 stitches and 40 rows = 4 inches
in garter stitch, afterr blocking.
US 4 - 3.5 mm
547 - 711 yards (500 - 650 m)
One size
English Italian
This pattern is available for €7.50 EUR buy it now

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Sometimes, your knitting takes you on a journey.
You start on solid ground, counting stitches with confidence, following a neat path of shapes and increases. And then something shifts. The pattern curves unexpectedly, the rhythm bends, and before you realize it, you’re not walking alone anymore.
And somewhere, if you look closely, perhaps just beyond the colorwork, a cat is smiling.

Construction
This is a modular crescent shawl, worked seamlessly in 3 different pieces. First the two big lateral triangle modules/mountains are worked, then they are joined together with the main part of the shawl that is knitted using a short-row motif reminding of soft hills.

The central body of the shawl is fully written and charted, while the lateral triangles have only the written instructions.

Short-row Colorwork
In writing and charting the short row colorwork part, I followed the standard used by Woolly Wormhead in her book. This means that a Row is not considered ended until it reaches the end and NOT when it reaches a short-row turn. Writing instructions that work for any number of repeats is much easier and clearer using this method.



Finished size: Width. 160 cm (64”); depth 42.5 cm (17”).

Yarn
MC: MissBabs Estrellita (92% superwash Merino wool, 8% Lurex; 400 yards 365 m/115 g), col. Terra, approx 365 m/400.
CC: MissBabs Moonglow (72% Kid Mohair, 28% Silk; 435 yds 400 m/50 g), col. Forever, approx 200 m/217 yds.
Note on yarn substitution: I love the contrast between the lurex shine and the mohair haze, but it’s perfectly possible to work this project using two fingering yarns instead.

Needles
One 60 cm / 24” circular needle (or straight needles if preferred) in size needed to obtain gauge.
Suggested needle size: 3.5 mm/US 4.

Notions
4 markers.
Tapestry needle to weave in ends.

Gauge
20 stitches and 40 rows = 10x10 cm (4”) in garter stitch after wet blocking.
Note: Gauge is not critical for this project, but can affect final measurements and yardage used.