SOAR is the first in a planned series of “anatomically inspired” pieces: shawls and stoles with designs drawn from the real anatomies of flying creatures in the natural world, but wearable and attractive for humans.

This shawl was inspired by birds’ wings, with symmetrical, contoured feathers of differing sizes and shapes. It is not an exact anatomical reproduction of any one species (please do no use this pattern for veterinary purposes, creation of personal flight devices, etc etc) but mirrors the general appearance of the wing structures of flying birds.

SOAR is available in two sizes - fledgling and adult - with slightly different shapes. The “fledgling” size is a smaller, true triangular shawl, while the larger “adult” size is a broader, almost-crescent triangle using some different shaping techniques, giving it a wider, more open wingspan.

Both sizes were formulated for the same approximate gauge - while gauge isn’t critical, I recommend a sport or heavier weight for strong stitch definition and retention of the edge when blocking. Fledgling size uses about 600yds and Adult about 1100-1200 though testers had some variation. Both sizes are available with one purchase/download.

This pattern is CHARTS ONLY. The number of different feather shapes and inclusion of both sizes in one file mean it’s quite long, and there are a lot of charts, but my testers were unanimous in saying it’s much easier to knit than it appears. All techniques, including the star stitches and the short rows (used to shape feather tips in the bind off), are explained. There are also instructions for which set of pages to print for each individual size.

Thank you SO MUCH to my testers:
oriocookie
knitmd
tsavoritesiren
Valentina777
thestitchinwench
glitterhippo