Slender leaves and stems of aira grass work as a perfect canvas for its very delicate airy seed heads. They catch every gentle breath of summer wind, turning the meadow into a sea of twinkling gold and silver. Mesmerising dance and unique texture of aira - also known as silver hairgrass - were the inspiration behind this design.

Worked from corner to corner in an asymmetrical triangle shape, Aira Shawl offers a variety of textures to play with - from classic garter and stockinette to airy drop stitches and textured lace (both charted and written instructions provided). Generous size and optional tassels add an extra touch of boho to this piece. Knitting in stripes creates an entertaining project to work on, while two colors of fingering weight yarn complement each other in the pattern dreamed up specifically for them. Aira Shawl would of course work great with tonal to solid yarn, and it can also be used to highlight the beauty of one heavily variegated colorway. Dive into your stash, pick any two colors and watch the pattern do its magic.

This design is part of The Sun and Fog Summer 2021 collection.

Size

• Wingspan/Length: 77” / 196 cm
• Depth/Width: 21” / 53 cm

Yarn

• Fingering weight yarn: approximately 400yds / 365m each color A and color B
• Yarn used in sample: Scrumptious Sock by Fiber Circle Studio (80% merino, 20% nylon; fingering weight; 400yds / 365m per 100g skein) Color A: Honey Mustard; 1 skein Color B: Bird Walk; 1 skein

Needles and Gauge

• Swatch to determine your needle size that helps to fit the gauge; needle size below is a suggestion
• US 4 / 3.5mm needles for working flat
• 25 sts and 50 rows in 4” / 10cm in Garter Stitch, unblocked; 23 sts and 44 rows in 4” / 10cm in Garter Stitch, blocked

Construction

• The shawl is knit in the shape of an asymmetrical triangle. It has a central spine at which the decreases are made.
• For the first part of the shawl, increases and decreases are balanced to make the fabric grow symmetrically on both sides of the central spine.
• For the second part, decreases are kept intact while increases are only made along one edge of the shawl, making the central spine shift from the center to the corner of the shawl.
• The piece is worked as a sequence of stripes in 4 stitch patterns: Garter, Stockinette, Drop Stitches, and Lace.
• Lace panels have both charts and written instructions provided.

Contributors
Tech Editor: Yvonne Poon
Model: Marjorie Gelin Goodwin