A hedgerow is a little streak of wildness. Though they trace out the domesticated boundaries of fields and pastures, hedgerows are not tame. Thick with thorns, layers of growth, and tangled textures, they are a place of refuge for small creatures who depend on them for shelter, food, and safe passage through the human landscape.

Hedgerows are highways of biodiversity, often supporting hundreds of species in a single stretch. They are also liminal spaces, wreathed in folklore, marking the line between known and unknown, safety and adventure, the everyday and the otherworld.

The Hedgerow Shawl is a crescent-shaped design that combines rich texture with a clean, wearable silhouette. Sections of lace, bobbles, garter ridges and slipped stitches create a sense of movement and layered detail across the fabric. It can be worked in three contrasting colours to highlight these transitions, or in a single shade for a more subtle, textural effect. A solid garter border brings everything together with a calm, contemporary finish.

The Hedgerow Shawl was originally released as a mystery knitalong, and is now available as a complete pattern, with all four clues compiled into a single easy-to-use PDF in the Curious Handmade Checklist™ format, including row-by-row stitch counts.

Yarn hints & materials:

The Hedgerow Shawl is designed to be flexible and adaptable, making it a great project for both careful planners and enthusiastic stash divers.

Yarn

Approx. 220g / 880m / 964yds of fingering-weight yarn

Choosing yarn for a secret pattern can be challenging, so here are some hints:

I used three semi-solid colourways to create a contrasting stripes and colour-block effects. When deciding on your yarn, you might think about picking three relatively high contrast skeins that all look good together.

The amount of contrast you like between the colours is up to you - a low contrast combination also looks beautiful. The shawl would also be gorgeous in just one colour: feel free to be as creative as you like with your yarn picks!

An additional tip for choosing colours is … Colour B is used for the border.

Variegated or speckled yarn could be used however some details of the design may become a little lost.

If in doubt it can be a great idea to knit a small stripey swatch with two or four rows of each colour together to see how they interact together.

The sample shawl was knit using NNK Hand-Dyed Yarns MCN fingering
(80% superwash merino, 10% cashmere, 10% nylon; 400m / 438yds per 100g skein)

Approximate amounts used in the sample:

Colour A: 60g (240m / 263yds)

Colour B: 100g (400m / 438yds)

Colour C: 60g (240m / 263yds)

These amounts are a guide only. Exact quantities do not need to be precise, and you may adjust based on your yarn choice and knitting style.

Needles

4mm (US 6) circular needle, 100cm / 40” long
(or size needed to obtain gauge)

Notions

Tapestry needle

Optional stitch markers

Gauge
18 stitches and 32 rows = 10cm / 4” in stockinette stitch after blocking.

Exact gauge is not critical for this shawl. Focus on creating a fabric you enjoy. If you knit at a looser gauge, you may wish to allow for a little extra yarn.

A note for stash knitters
This pattern is intentionally forgiving. Choose yarn you already love and feel comfortable knitting with: familiarity and ease are wonderful companions in a mystery project.

The shape of our MKAL shawl will be…
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Crescent!