Shawl Collar Shawl
Our Shawl Collar Shawl pattern singles out the very best part of a cozy cardigan, paring away the sleeves and body and making the voluminous collar the star of the show! In our exquisitely soft 100% cashmere Nigh DK, it’s the perfect gift for warmth, comfort, and a bit of drama.
To knit this versatile little accessory, you’ll use German short rows (easy peasy, and we have a great tutorial!) to create a tapered semi-oval shape, with one side curved and the other side straight. Fold the curved edge over to make that generous shawl collar and wear it as a top layer or peeking out of your coat this winter.
A simple shape, yet so dynamic when you fold it and wrap it around your neck! Tidy 2×2 ribbing gives structure to the clever geometry of the shawl and just the right amount of stretch across your shoulders.
A classic, understated beauty, made with the softest yarn you can imagine: Nigh DK, our 100% finest Mongolian cashmere. This light worsted/DK-weight yarn knits up into a gorgeous, feather-light fabric with a relaxed drape and a delicate halo that floats above the fabric’s surface… Heavenly for next-to-skin wear and just as good on the needles.
Choose from two dozen inspiring colors, including the delicately heathered Blue Celadon we selected.
The Shawl Collar Shawl is every bit as special, elegant, and warm as you hope it will be! Cast on with a few skeins of Nigh DK and create a gift you’ll be so proud to give to your nearest and dearest.
If you love the yarn used in this project, you’ll love all of our other yarn, too! Explore our 35+ lovingly created yarn collections, in nearly every natural fiber and spectacular color you can imagine… Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn shop!
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, #PurlSohoShawlCollarShawl, and #PurlSohoNighDK. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 3 skeins of Purl Soho’s Nigh DK, 100% cashmere yarn. Each skein of this light worsted/dk-weight yarn is 199 yards/ 55 grams; approximately 490 total yards required. We used the color Blue Celadon.
- US 5 (3.75 mm), 32- or 40- inch circular knitting needles
- Stitch markers or scrap yarn (optional)
GAUGE
28 stitches and 34 rows = 4 inches in 2 x 2 ribbing, relaxed after blocking
SIZE
Finished Dimensions: 49¾ inches wide x 12¾ inches tall (at widest point)
NOTES
SLIP STITCHES
Slip all slip stitches purlwise with yarn in front.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS
GERMAN SHORT ROWS
NOTE: For help with this technique, check out our German Short Rows Tutorial. Just note that, because you’ll be working in a ribbed stitch pattern, when you make a double stitch as instructed below, you will end with the yarn in a different position than shown in the video.
MAKE DOUBLE STITCH
On the right side: Turn work so wrong side is facing you. Slip 1 to right needle with yarn in front, pull working yarn tightly over needle so it tugs up both legs of slipped stitch to look like two stitches, i.e. a “double stitch.” Bring yarn over needle and leave it so yarn is in back.
On the wrong side: Turn work so right side is facing you. Slip 1 to right needle with yarn in front, pull working yarn tightly over needle so it tugs up both legs of slipped stitch to look like two stitches, i.e. a “double stitch.” Bring yarn around back of needle, then forward, passing between needles so yarn is in front.
WORK DOUBLE STITCH AS A SINGLE STITCH
On the right side: When you reach the double stitch, work it as a single stitch by knitting both legs of double stitch together.
On the wrong side: When you reach the double stitch, work it as a single stitch by purling both legs of double stitch together.
PATTERN
Cast on 348 stitches. We used a basic Long-Tail Cast On.
TIP: When you’re casting on so many stitches, it really helps to place a marker or piece of scrap yarn every 50 stitches. That way, if you lose count, you won’t have to recount all the stitches. Just remember to remove these markers when you work the Set-Up Row.
Set-Up Row (wrong side): Slip 1 (see Notes), *p2, k2, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, p2, slip 1.
SHAPE SLOPE
Short Row 1 (right side): K1, *k2, p2, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, k1, make double stitch (see Special Instructions).
Short Row 2 (wrong side): *K2, p2, repeat from * to last 5 stitches, k2, p1, make double stitch (see Special Instructions).
Short Row 3: *P2, k2, repeat from * to 6 stitches before double stitch, p2, k1, make double stitch.
Short Row 4: *K2, p2, repeat from * to 6 stitches before double stitch, k2, p1, make double stitch.
Repeat Short Rows 3 and 4 sixteen more times.
Short Row 5: *P2, k2, repeat from * to 10 stitches before double stitch, p2, k1, make double stitch.
Short Row 6: *K2, p2, repeat from * to 10 stitches before double stitch, k2, p1, make double stitch.
Repeat Short Rows 5 and 6 seven more times.
Short Row 7: Work in pattern to last stitch (knitting the knits and purling the purls), working double stitches as single stitches as you come to them (see Special Instructions), k1.
Next Row (wrong side): Slip 1, work in stitch pattern to last stitch, working double stitches as single stitches as you come to them, slip 1.
CONTINUE
Repeat Shape Slope section one more time.
With right side facing you, bind off in stitch pattern (working slip stitches at beginning and end of row as knits).
FINISHING
Weave in the ends and gently wet block.
Learn About Nigh DK + All Our Beautiful Yarns
Cast on for this project in Nigh DK and knit an heirloom! The most amazingly soft and incredibly feather-light fiber you can imagine, this 100% Mongolian cashmere yarn is spun in four even plies that knit into a beautiful, even fabric with a soft halo that floats above the fabric’s surface, a distinctive characteristic of fine cashmere yarns. A light worsted/DK-weight yarn, Nigh DK is thin enough to feel streamlined and elegant and thick enough to feel substantial. Pick up a gorgeous color (or two!) and have a truly extraordinary knitting experience!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our collection of (mostly free!) Nigh DK knitting patterns and cast on!
More Light Worsted/ DK-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of light worsted/ DK weight yarns
- If you want to use a different yarn, be sure to take the time to get the correct gauge. Need help? Check our All About Gauge Tutorial!
More Yarns With Similar Fiber
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!
This is beautiful! Weird question: If I knit it in fingering, approximately how much smaller would it be?
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for writing in! That would depend on the gauge you achieve with the fingering weight yarn, which can actually vary quite a lot. I would recommend knitting up a gauge swatch in pattern first. Once you know how many stitches per inch you’re getting you can divide the cast-on number (348 stitches) by that number. That will give you the new length, and the width will be in proportion to that!
All the best,
Lili
How can I make this shorter and use just 2 skeins of yarn?
Hi Erica,
Yes, you can totally do that! This pattern works over a multiple of 4 stitches, so just be sure to cast that on when you start!
All the best,
Lili
Hi, can you please clarify short row 3-6, when the pattern says 6 stitches before double stitch, is it the last double stitch I should count from? There are multiple double stitches after I knit row 3&4 the first time and my shawl seems to shorten very quickly. Thanks.
Hi Ivy,
Thanks for writing in! It’ll be the first double stitch you reach on that row, so the one you made on the previous repeat of the same row you’re currently on. You’re right that the shawl shortens pretty quickly!
All the best,
Lili