A one-skein asymmetrical shawl that lightly layers
with both sides of the fabric looking equally good
Rhythmic oblique lines work in harmony with any yarn, particularly with a semi-solid or variegated yarn that produces horizontal tonal grains.

Grainwise is designed for AVFKW Year 13 (2022-2023) Pro-Verbial Yarn & Fiber Club.

Together with Spirea by Paula Pereira, Elisabetta Damask Shawl by Cecelia Campochiaro and Ausma by Inese Sang, Grainwise is the 4th and last installment of this edition.

The timing of my visit to Berkeley in January 2023 gave me opportunity to personally pick up the yarn that was specially dyed for me to create the design. It was great to meet Kristine, Adrienne, Sarah and the rest of Team Verb. Having Kristine walk me through the studio and store, and personally seeing all the yarns and spectrum of colours that the team creates was an incredible experience. Although I have been a long-time subscriber of their newsletters, nothing beats being in the store physically to understand the way dyes and colours are created, enjoyed and respected, to feel Verb’s sense of aesthetics and think about how I can create a design that vibes with Verb.

Returning home to make swatches for a shawl, the beauty of the soft grains of texture created by subtle tonal variation in the yarn became a quality that I wished to preserve and enhance throughout the design. Rhythmic oblique lines work in harmony with these grains. The shawl is thus named with a made-up word, Grainwise, to express the appearance of lines going with the grains of the texture.

The instructions are written in a way that makes the rhythm of knitting enjoyable. Size is easily customizable by changing yarn, gauge, needle size and number of pattern repeats. Being asymmetrical and having both sides look equally good, this is a shawl that is interesting and easy to style.

TECHNIQUES AND NOTES

Begin the shawl by working a set of instructions that creates Stockinette stitch, a simple lace and reverse Stockinette stitch pattern shaped by short rows. Repetitions of this set of instructions create “layers” increasing in length that visually form slanting lines towards the deepest part of the shawl.

When approximately 45-50% of yarn by weight remains, work the Last Layer (see instructions), then begin garter stitch and decreases to taper the shawl. The yardage of the yarn chosen for the sample and the gauge at which the sample is knitted allow 23 total layers to be made. Feel free to vary this number to create a shawl of a different size.

YARN

490 m / 535 yards of light fingering weight yarn

Suggested Yarn

A Verb for Keeping Warm
Even Tinier Annapurna (517 m / 565 yards per 112 g skein, 80% Merino, 20% Cashmere)
1 skein
Colourway: Watermelon Agua Fresca

NEEDLES

One 3.75 mm / US 5, 60 cm / 24” circular needle

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Wingspan 216 cm / 85”
Depth 34 cm / 13½”

Size is easily customizable by changing yarn, gauge, needle size and number of pattern repeats.

NOTIONS

Stitch markers, tapestry needle for weaving in ends.

GAUGE (after blocking)

22 sts and 30 rows = 10 cm / 4” in Stockinette stitch with 3.75 mm / US 5 needle.
23 sts and 34 rows = 10 cm / 4” in garter stitch with 3.75 mm / US 5 needle.

Special thanks to Monica, Yuka and Ai for test knitting, and Naoko Ogawa (Strands of Life) for tech editing.