Petals Shawl

Petals Shawl by Kulabra Designs

What Is Being Made

The Petals Shawl is a semicircular knitted shawl designed by Natalia Moreva and published by Kulabra Designs in February 2020. This intermediate-level project creates a large, elegant wrap featuring a distinctive petal-segment construction method. Pre-blocked, the finished shawl measures 160cm across the top edge with a vertical drop of 76cm, making it a substantial accessory suitable for layering or draping.

Construction Technique

The Petals Shawl employs a segmented construction approach, where the shawl is worked in multiple petal sections rather than as a single continuous piece. This modular technique allows for interesting color placement and visual interest throughout the design. The semicircular shape is achieved through strategic increases worked from the top edge downward, creating the characteristic fan or shell-like silhouette.

Color Work and Yarn Changes

This design features deliberate color transitions that occur exclusively at the outer edge of the shawl. All color changes are worked using a specific technique that requires leaving long yarn tails—at least 15-20 stitches in length—to be wrapped around the working yarn during the transition. The wrapping method involves pulling the new color through the existing edge stitch as if working with two colors simultaneously, then knitting the first stitch with the new color before wrapping both yarn tails above and under the working yarn with each subsequent stitch until the tails are fully incorporated. This careful technique prevents loose edges and ensures secure color transitions.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques

While the complete stitch pattern details are not fully provided in the available content, the shawl utilizes standard knitting stitches appropriate for lace or openwork shawl construction. The pattern involves increases to shape the semicircular form and likely incorporates yarn overs or similar decorative increases that create the petal segments. The gauge specification of approximately 20 stitches by 28 rows per 10 centimeters indicates a relatively fine gauge suitable for fingering-weight yarn.

Materials Required

• Yarn: Fingering-weight yarn in four distinct colors. The pattern requires two 100-gram skeins (400 meters total) each for colors A and B, which form the main body of the shawl. Colors C and D are used for the edges, requiring two 50-gram skeins (200 meters total) each. This color distribution allows for bold color blocking and visual contrast between the central petal sections and the border areas.
• Needles: 4mm (US size 6) circular needles, which accommodate the width of the shawl as it grows during construction
• Gauge: Approximately 20 stitches and 28 rows measured over 10 centimeters in stockinette stitch or the primary stitch pattern used

Difficulty Level

Rated as intermediate, the Petals Shawl requires knitters to be comfortable with basic shawl construction, color changes, and the specific edge-wrapping technique detailed in the pattern. The segmented petal construction and precise color-change methodology make this project suitable for knitters with prior shawl experience rather than absolute beginners.