Coffee Toffee

Coffee Toffee Shawl by Melanie Mielinger

What Is Being Made

The Coffee Toffee is a triangular knitted shawl designed by Melanie Mielinger. This finished shawl measures 58 inches (145 cm) in width and 26 inches (65 cm) in depth at its deepest point, making it a generous wrap suitable for layering or draping across the shoulders.

Craft and Primary Technique

This project is created using the knitting craft. The shawl is constructed using a top-down triangular construction method, which is a popular approach for creating seamless shawls. The pattern begins with a small number of cast-on stitches and increases progressively throughout the work to achieve the final triangular shape.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques Used

The Coffee Toffee shawl employs several fundamental knitting stitches and techniques:

• Garter stitch – created by knitting every row, forming a textured, reversible fabric that serves as the foundation for the initial cast-on section
• Yarn overs (yo) – decorative increases that create openwork details and lace elements throughout the shawl
• Knit through the back loop (k1tbl) – a twisted knit stitch that adds visual interest and structural definition
• Slip stitch (SL 1) – used at the beginning of rows for a neat, finished edge
• Purl stitches (p) – incorporated on wrong-side rows to create texture variation
• Stitch markers (pm/sm) – essential tools used to denote pattern repeat sections and yarn-over placement points

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Coffee Toffee shawl is worked in sport weight yarn, specifically Malabrigo Arroyo, which is composed of 100% Merino wool. The pattern requires 2 skeins of this yarn, providing 384 meters (approximately 1,280 total yards) of fiber. Malabrigo Arroyo is known for its soft hand and excellent stitch definition, making it ideal for displaying the lace and textured elements of this design.

The shawl is knitted on US 7 (4.5 mm) circular needles. Circular needles are used for this project to accommodate the increasing stitch count as the triangular shawl expands. The pattern specifies a gauge of 16 stitches and 32 rows to 4 inches (10 cm) in garter stitch, measured after blocking with the recommended needle size.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as beginner friendly, making it an excellent introduction to shawl knitting. While the project involves several stitch techniques including yarn overs and stitch markers, the repetitive nature of the construction and the fundamental stitches used make it accessible to knitters who have mastered basic knit and purl stitches.

Additional Materials and Tools

Beyond yarn and needles, the Coffee Toffee pattern calls for a stitch marker to denote pattern sections, a tapestry needle for weaving in ends during finishing, and optionally a row counter to track progress through the pattern rows.