The visual inspiration for the the Gaitherin Shawl is of linked arms and hands, people’s heads visible in a crowd, out-stretched arms and heads coming together, visible in the shawl’s knitted texture.

The slipped-stitch ribbed texture is worked in stripes, allowing the yarns to mingle and come together to create a beautiful tweed-like fabric, a subtle nod to The Woolly Good Gathering’s location and Scottish textile traditions. The edges of the shawl are worked in a neat i-cord and the deceptively simple stitch patterning soon becomes intuitive as the shawl grows.

SIZES

Finished depth: 45 cm / 16.5 in
Finished width: 185 cm / 73 in

Measurements are approximate and taken at widest points, after blocking.

TENSION

26 sts and 48 rows over 10 cm / 4 in, in textured stripe stitch
Block your swatch according to the finishing directions before measuring.

The tension is not critical for this project but will affect the amount of yarn used and the size of the finished shawl.

NEEDLES

Main needles: 3.25 mm or size needed to match tension.

YARN

C1: Zakami Yarns, Merino Fingering, 100% Fine Merino, 400 m / 437 yds per 100g skein
C2: Zakami Yarns, Suri Fluffy Lace, 75% Baby Suri Alpaca, 25% Silk, 420 m / 459 yds per 50g skein

1 skein of each

Sample 1
C1: Tea and Honey
C2: Light, Love and Prosperity

OR in 4ply/fingering and laceweight yarn which knits to the specified gauge and has similar characteristics, such as good stitch definition and drape. If you are using a variegated colourway or a yarn with texture (e.g. a boucle yarn), use this as C2.

Approximate yardage required
C1: 370 m / 405 yds
C2: 320 m / 350 yds

TECHNIQUES

Reading charts (optional), slipped stitches, kfb increase, ssk decrease, i-cord

Notions
Tapestry needle
3 lockable stitch markers or safety pins
Weighing scales (optional)

N.B. If you’re using the charted instructions, slipped sts are always slipped purlwise, and on the RS they are slipped wyib and on WS wyif.