A bold, graphic two-color design, made without sewing, picking up stitches, or intarsia… How can this be? Let your curiosity lead the way with our Cool Construction Shawl pattern, so fun to knit in our classic Good Wool!

Cool Construction Shawl | Purl Soho

You’ll start by knitting the two garter-stitch triangles, one then the other. They are the blue wingtips of our sample and are easy peasy to knit… Just start with a few stitches and increase along one side. You’ll keep the stitches of both finished triangles live, and then knit all the way across both triangles to join them.

Cool Construction Shawl | Purl Soho

Here’s where the magic of that cool construction comes in! With a new color, you’ll just continue on those same stitches, now knitting what’s known as a mitered square (the berry-color part of our sample). Easy Centered Double Decreases (we have a great tutorial!) along the spine of the shawl shape the mitered square, ending with just one remaining stitch at the point.

Cool Construction Shawl | Purl Soho

A super cool shawl deserves a super cool yarn, and our Good Wool is just right, a real pleasure to knit and to wear. 100% Andean highland wool, this buoyant, hardy, and toasty yarn can be knit anywhere from a sport to a light worsted/DK weight. We opted for the latter for the Cool Construction Shawl, using larger needles to give the garter stitch fabric plenty of room to breathe and drape.

Cool Construction Shawl | Purl Soho

Each shade of Good Wool is mesmerizing, with five colors grown by the sheep themselves and 32 complex heathers dyed over those natural fleece colors. Pick two that say “cool” to you, like our version in deep Teal Twilight and Fresh Loganberry.

Cool Construction Shawl | Purl Soho

With plenty of yardage per skein of Good Wool, you’ll only need two of each color… Affordable, surprising, easy to knit, and fun to style, cast on for your own Cool Construction Shawl and experience the magic of the mitered square!

Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 45 thoughtfully designed yarns in nearly every natural fiber and in every spectacular color you can imagine. Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn store, where every skein is created with care and your creativity in mind!

Cool Construction Shawl | Purl Soho

Designed by Purl Soho designer, Hiromi Glover. See even more of Hiromi’s work on her Instagram!

Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoCoolConstructionShawl, and #PurlSohoGoodWool. We can’t wait to see what you make!

Materials

Cool Construction Shawl | Purl Soho
  • Purl Soho’s Good Wool, 100% Andean highland wool yarn. Each skein of this sport- to light worsted/DK-weight yarn is approximately 383 yards/ 100 grams.
    • Color A: 2 skeins; approximately 690 total yards required. We used Teal Twilight.
    • Color B: 2 skeins; approximately 670 total yards required. We used Fresh Loganberry.
  • US 6 (4 mm), 32-inch circular needles
  • Removable stitch markers
  • Stitch holders or scrap yarn

GAUGE

22 stitches and 44 rows (22 ridges) = 4 inches in garter stitch

SIZE

  • Finished Length of Wingspan: 64 inches
  • Finished Length of Each Short Side: 46 inches
  • Finished Height from Center of Wingspan to Bottom Tip of Triangle: 32 inches

NOTES

CONSTRUCTION

You will begin by knitting two garter-stitch Corner Triangles in Color A, placing the First Triangle stitches on hold while you work the Second Triangle, then you will knit across both Corner Triangles to join them. Next, with Color B, you’ll work a double decrease every other row in the middle of these stitches, forming a Mitered Square between the two Corner Triangles.

SLIP STITCHES

Slip all slipped stitches knitwise with yarn in back.

S2KP (SLIP 2, KNIT 1, PSSO)

Slip 2 stitches together knitwise with yarn in back, knit 1, pass slipped stitches over knit stitch and off right needle. [2 stitches decreased]

For additional help, please visit our S2kp Tutorial.

PATTERN

WORK FIRST CORNER TRIANGLE

*With Color A, cast on 3 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.

NOTE: Place a removable stitch marker or scrap yarn on first row to indicate wrong side.

Set-Up Rows 1–3: Slip 1 (see Notes), knit to end of row.

Row 1 (right side): Slip 1, knit front and back (kfb), knit to end of row. [1 stitch increased]

Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1, knit to end of row. **

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until you have 126 total stitches, ending with Row 2. [Piece measures 23 inches along left selvage edge from cast-on point]

Cut Color A.

Place stitches on scrap yarn and set aside.

WORK SECOND CORNER TRIANGLE

Work from * to ** of First Corner Triangle section.

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 one more time. [5 total stitches]

Increase Row (right side): Slip 1, knit to last 3 stitches, kfb, k2. [1 stitch increased]

Next Row (wrong side): Slip 1, knit to end of row.

Repeat last two rows until you have 126 total stitches, ending with a wrong-side row. [Piece measures 23 inches along right selvage edge from cast-on point]

Do not cut yarn.

JOIN CORNER TRIANGLES

NOTE: You will now join Corner Triangles, working across Second Triangle stitches first, then across First Triangle stitches.

With right side of Second Triangle facing you at left end of needles, return First Triangle stitches, with right side facing you, to right end of needles.

Set-Up Row (right side): Slip 1, knit to end of Second Triangle stitches; then, continuing across First Triangle stitches, kfb, place marker (pm), knit to end of row. [253 total stitches]

Next Row (wrong side): Slip 1, knit to end of row.

Cut Color A.

WORK MITERED SQUARE

Join Color B.

Row 1 (right side): Knit to 3 stitches before marker, s2kp (see Notes), remove marker, k1, pm, knit to end of row. [251 stitches remain]

Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1, knit to end of row, slipping marker as you come to it.

Row 3: Slip 1, knit to 3 stitches before marker, s2kp, remove marker, k1, pm, knit to end of row. [2 stitches decreased]

Repeat Rows 2 and 3 until 5 stitches remain, ending with Row 2.

Next Row (right side): Slip 1, s2kp, remove marker, k1. [3 stitches remain]

Next Row (wrong side): Repeat Row 2.

Next Row: S2kp.

Weave in the ends and gently wet block.

Cool Construction Shawl | Purl Soho
Cool Construction Shawl | Purl Soho

LEARN ABOUT GOOD WOOL + ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL YARNS

Good Wool adds loads of character, beauty, and integrity to this knit! A sport-weight yarn whose lofty 2-ply spin can also bloom into a light worsted/DK-weight yarn, Good Wool is made from 100% Andean highland wool, a toothy fiber with a deeply natural appeal. This yarn has a spectacular palette of complex and subtly varied colors, including 5 undyed shades. Very close to the hearts of our customers, Good Wool is a true knitter’s yarn!

More Free Knitting Patterns

More Sport-Weight Yarns + Light Worsted/DK-Weight Yarns

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Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our free knitting patterns and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!