The City Shawl in Rowan Alpaca Classic (Fr) - Downloadable PDF

The City Shawl by Georgia Farrell – Rowan Alpaca Classic Knitting Pattern (Downloadable PDF)

The City Shawl is a stunning, large-format hand-knitted shawl designed by Georgia Farrell and published by Rowan in 2020. Available as a downloadable PDF (pattern reference ZB278-00006-FRP), this is an advanced-level knitting project that produces an impressive finished piece measuring approximately 182 cm in wingspan and 83 cm at its deepest point — making it a truly generous, wrap-worthy accessory suitable for all seasons.

What Is Being Made

The City Shawl is a large triangular or crescent-style shawl worked in Rowan Alpaca Classic, a lightweight DK weight yarn. The finished shawl is designed to be both elegant and wearable, with a sophisticated textural stitch pattern that creates visual interest across its entire surface. The generous dimensions make it ideal as a statement wrap, a travel accessory, or a refined layering piece for urban dressing — perfectly in keeping with its city-inspired name.

Design Versions

The pattern offers two distinct colorwork versions, allowing knitters to personalise their finished shawl:

• Four-colour version: Uses Willow 112, Feather Grey Melange 101, Hyacinth 129, and Green Moss 111 — a sophisticated palette blending naturalistic greens and greys with a pop of soft violet.
• Two-colour version: Uses Deep Teal 109 and Ice Blue 131 — a cooler, more streamlined colourway with a clean tonal contrast.

Both versions showcase how Rowan Alpaca Classic carries colour beautifully, with the yarn's soft halo adding depth and warmth to each shade.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern is written specifically for Rowan Alpaca Classic, a DK weight yarn sold in 25g balls. Quantities vary by version:

• Four-colour version: 1 ball of Willow 112, 2 balls of Feather Grey Melange 101, 3 balls of Hyacinth 129, and 2 balls of Green Moss 111.
• Two-colour version: 4 balls of Deep Teal 109 and 6 balls of Ice Blue 131.

Rowan Alpaca Classic is prized for its exceptional softness, subtle lustre, and lightweight warmth — qualities that make it particularly well-suited to a large shawl that needs to drape beautifully without adding bulk.

Needles

The pattern calls for one circular needle, size 3¾ mm (UK 9 / US 5), at least 100 cm long. The use of a long circular needle is essential for accommodating the large stitch count as the shawl grows through its many increase rows.

Tension and Gauge

The stated tension is 23 stitches and 46 rows to 10 cm over garter stitch using 3¾ mm needles. The pattern notes that tension will vary depending on the stitch pattern used across different sections of the shawl, so knitters are advised to swatch carefully before casting on.

Techniques Used

The City Shawl is rated advanced difficulty, and the construction involves a range of techniques that experienced knitters will find both engaging and rewarding:

• Shaping with paired increases: The shawl is built using regular paired increases on either side of a central marker stitch, creating the classic triangular or symmetrical shawl silhouette. Increases are worked using make-one left and make-one right methods (augmentation inter-gauche and augmentation inter-droite), maintaining clean, directional shaping lines.
• Central marker management: A central stitch is maintained throughout as a garter stitch spine, with the marker slipped on every row to keep the symmetry precise.
• Garter stitch borders: