2024 was the year of the Total Solar Eclipse. My daughter and I drove to our favorite yarn shop to celebrate that day, and while I had high expectations for what I was about to see, the actual eclipse exceeded anything I had imagined! It was an absolutely breathtaking experience seeing night fall during a warm spring day, watching street lights come on, feeling the temperature chill, seeing the stars peeking through the dusky sky - and then the black sun, rays emanating from its edges as we reached totality - was a sight that cannot be described in words. This shawl is my attempt to showcase the absolute beauty and humility that has been in my heart ever since that spring day, and that will remain with me for the rest of my life.

The Total Eclipse Shawl is an intermediate-level crescent-shaped shawl that celebrates the total eclipse, showcasing the disappearance of the sun using stranded colorwork and an intarsia dark circle for the moment of totality. Apart from these more complex sections, the shawl features simple stitches and eyelet rows to create an interesting texture and striking contrast. The pattern includes written instructions for non-colorwork sections and three charts for colorwork sections. I thought it only fitting to create this shawl with yarn from the shop where we witnessed the eclipse - Rebel Purl!

GAUGE
7.5 sts and 5 rows = 1 inch
Gauge is not important unless you have a limited supply of yarn.

YARN
A couple kits are available! Check out Rebel Purl’s shop here!
Two contrasting fingering-weight yarns: one solid/semi-solid and one variegated (MC: 70g/305 yards, CC: 82g/358 yards).
I used Rebel Purl’s ‘4 Plies of the Apocalypse’ fingering-weight yarn in “Mistress of the Dark” (dark purple) (MC) and variegated red/orange (CC) (4-ply, 100g/436 yards per skein). The red/orange is black light reactive!

NEEDLES
US size 4 (3.5mm) circular needles on 44”/110cm cable.

NOTIONS
A tapestry needle to weave in ends.

TECHNIQUES
Knitting, purling, increasing, decreasing, stranded colorwork worked flat, intarsia knitting.

FINISHED DIMENSIONS
Approximately 60” (152cm) wide by 17.5” (45cm) tall after blocking.

ON REPEAT
“Insane” by Black Gryph0n and Baasik. This song started a long-lasting delve into the amazing soundscape of Electro-Swing! Still currently loving all of it.
“Where Words End” by Robert Gromotka and Chiharu Bley Violoncello is a very chill track that’s perfect for fall.

This pattern is free!

I hope that this shawl reminds you of the absolute beauty that this world offers us, if we take the time to witness it.

With love,
Rachael (Moonvale Creations)