Our True Knit Shawl pattern celebrates the extraordinary beauty of Nigh Aran, a cashmere yarn so soft and radiant it needs nothing more than quiet restraint to shine. Every element of this design tells a simple truth: when a yarn is this special, less truly is more.

True Knit Shawl | Purl Soho

You begin this triangular shawl at one tip and work your way across, increasing along one edge, then decreasing back down to the other tip. A few reverse stockinette stitches at the borders naturally curl forward, creating a soft rolled edge with plenty of stretch.

True Knit Shawl | Purl Soho
True Knit Shawl | Purl Soho

Sumptuously soft and wonderfully warm, Nigh Aran is the cashmere yarn every knitter dreams of, generous and indulgent yet light and buoyant enough to keep this large, aran-weight shawl from feeling heavy. Spun from the finest 100% Mongolian cashmere, this yarn is washed multiple times at the mill so that it feels incredibly soft as you knit, not just after blocking it. It’s truly an unforgettable knitting experience!

True Knit Shawl | Purl Soho

Nigh Aran’s palette is classic and timeless, full of colors you’ll want to wear every day. From soft neutrals like this Wren Feather to rich jewel tones, each color lets the yarn’s gentle halo glow.

True Knit Shawl | Purl Soho

The True Knit Shawl is a celebration of pure knitting joy… Just you, your needles, and the incomparable softness of Nigh Aran. Pick up five skeins for this larger size or three for a smaller version, and savor every beautiful stitch.

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!

True Knit Shawl | Purl Soho

Pattern designed and written by Purl Soho designer, Hiromi Glover. See even more of Hiromi’s work on her Instagram!

Story written by Andrea Lotz for Purl Soho.

Want to print this pattern? On desktop, find the “print” icon in the right margin, and on mobile, scroll to the end of the pattern for it. Use the on-screen instructions to remove anything you don’t want to print!

Materials

True Knit Shawl | Purl Soho
  • 3 (5) skeins of Purl Soho’s Nigh Aran, 100% cashmere yarn. Each skein of this worsted/aran weight yarn is 100 yards/ 55 grams; approximately 255 (500) total yards required. We used the color Wren Feather.
  • US 8 (5mm), 24-inch circular knitting needles

NOTE: We used every last yard for the Large size, so to ensure you don’t run out, we recommend weighing all of your skeins before casting on. This way, you can make sure you have at least half your yarn left before beginning the Second Half! 

GAUGE

16 stitches and 23 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

SIZES

Small (Large)

Finished Dimensions: 16¼ inches at widest point x 44 inches long (22¾ inches at widest point x 62 inches long)

SAMPLE: We knit the Large size.

NOTES

SLIP STITCHES

Right Side: Slip stitches purlwise through back leg with yarn in front.

Wrong Side: Slip stitches knitwise with yarn in back.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

M1L PURLWISE (MAKE 1 LEFT PURLWISE)

NOTE: For more help with this increase, please visit our Make 1 Purlwise Tutorial.

M1L purlwise: Use left needle to pick up strand between last stitch and next stitch, from front to back. Purl into back leg of strand. [1 stitch increased]

PATTERN

FIRST HALF

Cast on 3 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.

Row 1 (right side): Slip 1 (see Notes), p2.

Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1 (see Notes), make 1 right (m1R), k2. [4 stitches]

Row 3: Slip 1, purl to end of row.

Row 4: Slip 1, knit to last 2 stitches, m1R, k2. [1 stitch increased]

Repeat Rows 3 and 4 three more times. [8 stitches]

Row 5 (right side): Slip 1, purl to end of row.

Row 6 (wrong side): Slip 1, k3, m1L purlwise (see Special Instructions), k4. [9 stitches]

Row 7: Slip 1, p3, knit to last 4 stitches, p4.

Row 8: Slip 1, k3, purl to last 4 stitches, m1L purlwise, k4. [1 stitch increased]

Repeat Rows 7 and 8 fifty-six (82) more times. [66 (92) stitches]

SECOND HALF

Row 1 (right side): Slip 1, p3, knit to last 4 stitches, p4.

Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1, k3, purl to last 5 stitches, knit 2 together (k2tog), k3. [1 stitch decreased]

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 fifty-six (82) more times. [9 stitches remain]

Row 3 (right side): Slip 1, p3, k1, p4.

Row 4 (wrong side): Slip 1, k3, k2tog, k3. [8 stitches remain]

Row 5 (right side): Slip 1, purl to end of row.

Row 6 (wrong side): Slip 1, knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1. [1 stitch decreased]

Repeat Rows 5 and 6 three more times, then repeat Row 5 one more time. [4 stitches remain]

Next Row (wrong side): Slip 1, k2tog, k1. [3 stitches remain]

Next Row (right side): Slip 1, purl to end of row.

Cut yarn and thread tail onto a tapestry needle. Sew tail through remaining stitches and pull taut.

FINISHING

Weave in the ends and gently wet block.

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

True Knit Shawl | Purl Soho
True Knit Shawl | Purl Soho

Learn About Nigh Aran + All Our Beautiful Yarns

Cast on for this project with Nigh Aran, made with the most exquisite, amazingly soft 100% Mongolian cashmere you can imagine! This generous aran-weight yarn has a buoyant multi-ply structure and knits into a beautiful, even fabric with a lush halo that floats above the fabric’s surface, a distinctive characteristic of fine cashmere yarns. Knitting with Nigh Aran is a very special pleasure… Try it!

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Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our knitting patterns (including tons of 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!