Combine Lines and Texture in This Shawl Knitting Pattern

It feels like shawl season is just around the corner, so that must mean that shawl knitting season is already here! I love shawls that are relatively easy to knit but still include some fun techniques and details that make them fun to make and to wear. Something that will ensure that people know that you made it yourself instead of buying it from a shop.

The Synclines Shawl from Kavitha Raman is definitely one of those distinctive shawls that isn’t too difficult to knit. It’s worked with two colors and includes stripes made with slipped stitches and a striped mesh lace pattern.

The shawl starts with a short cast on and is increased to make an asymmetrical triangle shape. The main body of the shawl is worked in two color slip stitch on the bias, while the border adds mesh stitch stripes.

As the name suggests this gives the scarf the look of synclines, which is a fold in rock where the axis shifts. Who knew you could learn about geology while you are knitting?

While the pattern calls for DK weight yarn in two colors, you can use other weights or color combinations as you like. With a wingspan of 67.5 inches, this shawl is perfect for wrapping around your neck a couple of times and wearing more like a scarf.

This pattern is available for purchase on its own from Ravelry, or you can buy the ebook it is part of, The Sun and Fog winter 2022 collection (see all the patterns on Ravelry here). It’s a collection of nine knit and crochet patterns from Northern California designers that evoke the feeling of winter on the coast with muted hues and geologic forms. Most of the patterns are for knitters and they include wraps, a cowl, a cardigan, mitts and a hat.

[Photo: Ksenia Naidyon]

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If you’re looking for a fun project to play with brioche knitting, check out the My Buddy knitting pattern/recipe from Casuarinagirl on Ravelry.

This project doesn’t include a brioche tutorial, so it’s good to know the basics, including how to increase and decrease, but you can always practice on a swatch before you start the project if you want.

The design is meant to be flexible for the yarn you have and what size and shape of project you want to make, from a skinny neck scarf to a asymmetrical triangle or a more classic triangular shape.

The shape you end up with will depend on how often you increase (and then decrease on the other side). The pattern mentions increasing every fourth, fifth or six row (and the one shown increases and decreases every sixth row) but you can do it even more or less often depending on the shape you’re looking for an how much yarn you want to use.

You can work to whatever depth you would like, or use almost half of the yarn you have set aside for the project and begin decreasing.

When it comes to yarn, she used three strands of yarn held together to make a super fluffy shawl, but you can work it with whatever yarn and needles you like to make a wrap that’s all your own.

If you are new to brioche (or to increasing and decreasing in brioche) it might be a good idea to make a little scarf or head wrap first before diving in to the bigger pattern, just so you’re more comfortable with the technique. Or just give it a go; nothing about brioche knitting is that difficult. (But you might want to use a lifeline because I find brioche hard to rip out or fix mistakes in properly.)

You can grab the free pattern for the Buddy Wrap on Ravelry.

[Photo: Casuarinagirl]

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