Knit Yourself Some Sunshine with This Fun Shawl Knitting Pattern

Sometimes when I’m scrolling through Ravelry something will just catch my eye because it’s weird or pretty or fun or cheerful.

The Sun Sun Sun Shawl from Åsa Tricosa is definitely pretty and fun and cheerful.

It’s an asymmetrical triangle with a narrow lace border along one side and a deeper lace border along the long bottom edge.

The lace design looks a bit like shells, or flower petals, or maybe even the sun coming up over the horizon after a long, cold, lonely winter. (The shawl is in part inspired by the song “Here Comes the Sun” as well as a way to honor the life of artist Steve Harley, who died earlier this year.)

The lace is known as Peri’s Parasol in a version in a Barbara G. Walker book, so you could think of it as little umbrellas to protect you from the sun, too.

Whatever way you imagine it, this design also uses garter stitch with some slipped stitches thrown in for extra texture on the body of the shawl. The pretty yellow color and mohair-silk yarn also evoke the sunshine, but of course you can use whatever color you like, and indeed whatever sport weight yarn you have handy to make the shawl.

Or try it in a different weight for a different look, feel and size.

As written the shawl has a 79 inch/200 cm wingspan and is 59 inches/ 150 cm long across the top. It uses between 1367 and 1476 yards, or 1250 and 1350 meters, of yarn.

The design uses a crochet cast on, and the lace design is provided in a chart and a written pattern.

This is such a pretty, lightweight shawl to wear throughout the sun, sun, sunny months, or even when it’s cold and gray out and you need a little burst of knit sunshine.

You can get your copy of the pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Åsa Tricosa]

6 Shawls In A Ball Patterns

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Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

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