Tree Herder Shawl, formerly known as KISKIS, is a half-pie, worsted weight, overall textured shawl.

Inspired by Treebeard from Tolkien’s The Two Towers and Return of the King, this shawl was the first iteration of the Keep It Secret, Keep It Safe (KISKIS) MKAL. The KISKIS MKAL will return again in January of 2026 with a NEW pattern inspired by another character from Middle Earth!

This pattern was designed in collaboration with Knitten Word and Katydid Bags! Kits will be available starting December 1st that include all the yarn needed to knit the shawl, an incredible project bag, and a 25% off code for the KISKIS Shawl pattern. Check out the beautiful color ways available in the pattern page’s photos.

Pattern Details
Needle Size: US Size 7/4.5 mm circular needles; 32 in (80 cm) and 60 in (150 cm) cords

Gauge: “Double Seed Stitch”: 17 sts x 32 rows = 4 in (10 cm) x 4 in (10 cm)

Amount of yarn needed: 5 skeins of Knitten Word Baba Yaga Worsted (218 yd/200 meters, 100g per skein) OR 980 yds/896 m OR 450 g of a similar worsted superwash BFL

Notions: Stitch markers, tapestry needle, size 7/4.5 mm cable needle or DPNs if you prefer for knitting cables

Techniques included: Slipped stitches, twisted stitches, cabling (all cables included are small repeats - nothing huge)

Yarn substitution: KISKIS is knit using superwash BFL. If BFL is inaccessible, a great fiber substitution for this yarn would be any Peruvian Highland Wool, such as Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Worsted (nonsuperwash or superwash). Hobbii’s Friends Wool, although not a Peruvian Highland Wool, would also be an excellent substitution.

Any worsted weight yarn will work for KISKIS. Just be aware of how the properties of your yarn may change the overall look. For example, Bluefaced Leicester (BFL) is more toothsome than merino, even in superwash. This means it holds onto itself when knit and textures stand out clearly. When choosing a superwash merino, some textures may pop less.

Charts and Instructions: All charts are written out and included on the same page as their instructions. There is a separate PDF with charts only if you’d prefer to only work from charts.