About
The Gowla Shawl pays homage to my mother’s home and her family. She was the fifth of ten children, born and raised in the small Irish townland of Gowla. Her mother, my Grandma Kate, was a strong woman, widowed when my mom was just 7 and near the time her last baby was born. Like many homes of the time, I’m sure there was a rocking chair near the center hearth to nurse and lull babies back to sleep in.

I picture my grandmother there, wrapped in a shawl as she knit at the end of the day for all that she held dear. A shawl that could be wrapped around her torso and tied around her waist as she worked throughout the day, visited neighbors and family, or draped around her shoulders as stories or lessons were shared by the fire. Perhaps it was even swaddled around a babe or a younger child was bundled into it on a chilly morn. Practical for everyday use but pretty enough to be worn with her Sunday best or at a family gathering. My grandma was an avid knitter and I imagine her projects were easy enough to knit while supervising the busyness that a family of their size inevitably created but resulted in a piece that was perfect for most occasions.

With this vision in mind, I created a modern shawl that could do the very same. An ageless, as well as, timeless design that with a few simple stitches is easy enough for a confident beginner knitter but engaging enough for an advanced one. It is offered in two sizes so you may choose what fits best into your busy life and compliments your wardrobe so it is grabbed time and time again.

Needle:
US 9 (5.5 mm), 40” (100 cm) circular needle or needles needed to get gauge

Suggested Yarn: 
Small: Madelinetosh Hand Dyed YarnsMadelinetosh DK, DK Weight, 3 skeins100% Merino wool; 225 yards (205 m)/100 grams
or any DK/Worsted weight yarn of your choosing
Sample uses color Elizabeth Taylor, approx. 550 yards (500 m)

Large: Madelinetosh Hand Dyed YarnsMadelinetosh DK, DK Weight, 4 skeins100% Merino wool; 225 yards (205 m)/100 grams
or any DK/Worsted weight yarn of your choosing

Sample uses color Liquid Gold, approx. 800 yards (732 m)

Gauge: 15 sts/28 rows = 4” (10 cm) square in pattern using US 9 (5.5 mm) needles or whatever size needle gives you the fabric you would like. Gauge is not really important with this shawl as long as you get a fabric you like.

Other Notions: Stitch markers, darning needle

Special Techniques:
• Knit & purl, cast on & bind off
• Increasing, decreasing,  (yo, k2tog, M1R, M1L, ssk, s2kp)
• Working from charts  (written directions available)
• Lace

Final Measurements:
Small: 70“ x 30” (180 x 76 cm)
Large: 84“ x 36” (213 x 91 cm)