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True Knit Shawl
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.
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.
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!
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.
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 55 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!
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
- 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!
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!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our collection of free Nigh Aran knitting patterns and cast on!
More Worsted/Aran-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of worsted/aran-weight yarn (What does worsted-weight yarn mean, really? Our guide to worsted-weight yarn will answer your questions and more.)
- 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, our Yarn Substitution article, and our Complete Guide To Yarn for lots of helpful information.
More Yarns With Similar Fiber
- Shop Nigh DK + Nigh Fine, this yarn’s DK-weight and lace- to fingering-weight siblings
- Shop cashmere yarn (What makes cashmere so special? Learn all about this amazing fiber in our guide to cashmere yarn!)
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!
Regarding the “slip purlwise through back leg” instruction, are you purposely twisting the stitch?
Hi Cathy,
Thank you for asking and you are exactly correct! That slip stitch on the right side will result in a twisted stitch.
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Love the simplicity of this shawl. Is that a rolled border on it or like an i-cord finish?
Thank you.
Joyce
Hi Joyce,
We’re so happy to hear you love this shawl too! This design features a reverse stockinette rolled edge rather than an I-cord, and we love that you noticed this simple yet intentional detail in the pattern.
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Fantastic pattern on shawl worked out really well and having a free pattern was a big bonus as well thank you
Bellissimo
Any recommendations for less pricey Purl Soho yarns for this project??
Hi Ann Marie Joyce,
Thanks for asking! That is such a great questions! I’d recommend, Plenty, Yonder or Till as great alternatives for this pattern! Please let us know if you have any questions about fiber, color or anything else!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Hi! I’m looking to make this with the Till yarn. In that case, how many skeins would I need to match what’s needed for the large size? Do I match the number of yards?
Hi Rasa!
Thank you for your question! Great news, Till and Nigh Aran are quite comparable, so you can substitute between them by yardage. For the large size, you’ll need approximately 500 yards total. Since Till has 136 yards per skein, you’ll want 4 skeins (544 yards total) to be safe. As always, we recommend knitting a gauge swatch to make sure you’re getting the correct gauge with your needle size.
Happy knitting!
Megan
Good morning, I would like to use this slip stitch edging for a simple stockinet rectangular wrap. What cast on and bind off should I use to keep it from curling. Thank you for your advice. Kathleen
Hi Kathleen,
Thanks so much for reaching out! Since this project is knit in stockinette stitch, it’s totally normal for the fabric to curl a bit—that’s just part of the stitch’s nature. Once you block your project after finishing, that rolling should relax quite a bit, though you might still see a little curl.
One trick our design team likes is blocking the piece with the wrong side facing up, which can help flatten things even more. And if you’re still not loving how it looks, you could always add a simple border—something like garter stitch, ribbing, or seed stitch works great to keep the edges from curling.
Hope this helps, and happy knitting!
All the best,
Gavriella
Your yarn looks great where can I buy it I live in Donegal is there anywhere near that stocks it or can I order from u [email protected]
Hi Margaret!
Thank you for writing in! I’m happy to share that all of our products are available right here in our online shop. You can find the yarn used in this pattern on our Night Aran product page, and we’re delighted to offer worldwide shipping!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Hi- regarding the yardage requirements, can we adjust the amount of rows in the first half, thus ensuring we have enough yarn for the second half?
Hi Natalie,
That’s exactly right — you’re right on track! You can go ahead and knit until about half your yarn remains before starting the decrease section. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Gavriella
Perhaps I will err on the side of slightly more than half, just to be safe!
Thanks for the reply.
What ml1 mean?I’m a not a beginner but not an advanced. Thank you, Ann Marie
Hi Ann Marie,
Thanks for writing in! M1L means to make one stitch left leaning. You can see exactly how to do this in our Make 1 Purlwise tutorial which demonstrates exactly how we used it here in this pattern! Please let us know if you have any other questions along the way!
All the best,
Gavriella
Disappointing that patterns can no longer be saved to Pinterest. I Only print patterns when I’m beginning the project.
Hi Lisa,
We’re so sorry you are running into issues pinning this post. It looks like the option is still available on my end but would you mind sending in screenshots of the issue you are encountering to [email protected]? This will help give us a better idea of how we can make sure you are able to continue pinning our posts!
We will keep a look out for your message!
All the best,
Gavriella
FYI: The Notes section is missing the instructions for M1R.
Lovely shawl.
Hi Rani,
Thank you for much for letting us know! We will get this corrected right away but for now, the link is still clickable should you need it in row 2! That will take you directly to our M1 tutorials.
Have a wonderful rest of your day!
All the best,
Gavriella
Hello! Beautiful shawl… Can this be made with Hedgerow instead? If so, would I need to adjust the needle size or pattern? Thanks so much!
Cheers,
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
Thank you for writing in! You can definitely use Hedgerow with this pattern but I’d just recommend making a quick gauge swatch to check your tension. Since this pattern is basically knitting to a half way point with your yarn, you shouldn’t have any issues making adjustments. I hope this helps and happy knitting!
All the best,
Gavriella
Wonderful! Thanks so much, Gavriella!
Hey!
Am I the only one who’s shawl is rolling up on the straight side? Will this be better with blocking?
Thanks!
Hi Judit,
Thanks so much for reaching out! Since this project is worked in stockinette stitch, it’s completely normal for the fabric to curl a bit—that’s just the natural tendency of the stitch. Once you block your project, that curling should relax quite a bit, though you may still notice a slight roll. Hope this helps and happy knitting!
All the best,
Gavriella
Thank you! ☺️
Hi,
I just cast on tonight & I’m confused about right side being purl & wrong side being knit. The photos show the right side is knit.
Can you help me understand?
Thank you!
Hi Nancy,
Great question! The purl stitches made on the right side are just for the edge detail. Once you begin to increase further and further, your knit stitches will make up the main fabric of your shawl.
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
HI,
Can I make this with 100% Cashmere yarn?
Hi Min,
This pattern uses 100% cashmere yarn, so yes! Our Nigh Aran is pure cashmere from Mongolia and is as soft, warm, and gorgeous as you can imagine.
Please let us know if you have any more questions. We’ll be very happy to answer them!
Best,
Whitney
Hello !
Thank you for all your lovely and comprehensive patterns. For the shawl, I would like to do it with different colours. I wanted to do stripes but with the slip stitch it might look weird; then I thought of doing only the edge in a contrasting colour. What do you think? And what do you recommend?
Hi Ariane!
Thank you for your comment! I think your idea of adding color is fantastic. Stripes can look beautiful in this pattern.
As for doing just the edge in a contrasting color, that part is trickier. Since the first stitch of every row is slipped, the edge stitches will pull color from the previous row, which means you can’t isolate the edge in a single contrasting color. The slipped stitches will alternate colors and create their own subtle striped edging instead. It’s a very pretty effect!
Warmly,
Megan
Thank you for your answer ! I am working on the shawl with stripes 🙂
I had another question: for the second half, it is written that on the wrong side I should k2tog 5 stitches before the end and then k3. Why k3? Why not k2tog 6 stitches before the end and then k4 as in the first half ? Am I missing something ?
Thank you again!
Hi Ariane!
I’m so glad the stripes are working out for you! Great question! You’re not missing anything. It really does come down to the math and keeping the edge stitches consistent.
In the first half, you’re increasing, so you work to 4 stitches from the end, make an increase, and then knit those 4 stitches. That effectively adds a stitch before the edge while still preserving the same edge structure.
In the second half, you’re doing the opposite: you work to 5 stitches from the end, k2tog to remove one stitch, and then knit the last 3 stitches. This again leaves you with the same 4 edge stitches at the end of the row, just achieved by decreasing instead of increasing.
So although the instructions look different, both halves are designed to keep the edges balanced and symmetrical. You’re right on track!
Warmly,
Megan
Bonjour,
Après le montage des trois mailles, il est indiqué :
“Rang 1 (côté droit) : Glisser 1 (voir Notes), p2.”
que signifie p2?
merci
Frederique
Bonjour Frédérique,
“P2” signifie tricoter 2 mailles à l’envers.
N’hésitez pas à nous contacter si vous rencontrez d’autres questions de langue — nous ferons de notre mieux pour vous aider à les traduire!
Bon tricot!
Meilleurs sentiments,
Whitney
Lovely pattern – I’m really enjoying the edge treatment and can’t wait to get to the next half. I’m using Good Wool with a 4 mm needle and plan to make a kerchief.
Hi Cussot!
Thank you so much for your comment! I’m thrilled to hear you’re enjoying the edge treatment. Good Wool on a 4 mm needle sounds absolutely lovely!
Happy knitting,
Megan
I wonder how this would look as a head-kerchief/scarf… I’m guessing it’s not triangular shaped.
Hi G!
Thank you for your comment! This pattern does create a triangular shawl, so turning it into a head kerchief or neck scarf is a really simple adjustment. For a smaller piece, just work the first half until it reaches half the final size you want, then begin the second half as written.
If you’d like guidance on sizing or shaping, feel free to reach out to us anytime at [email protected]. We’re always happy to help!
Happy knitting,
Megan
Hi! I’m a beginner knitter and I’m having a little trouble with the pattern. Would you guys consider making a tutorial on your YouTube?
Hi Evelyn!
Thank you for your question! If you reach out to us at [email protected] or sign up for one of our free 1-on-1 Help Sessions, we can help you through the steps visually. We’d love to help you with whatever part of the pattern is giving you trouble!
Warmly,
Megan
I just started this scarf, love the yarn but wonder why rows 7 and 8 switch away from the straight stockinette stitch as shown in the photos and which I prefer.
Hi Diana!
Thanks so much for writing in! Great question! Those little stitch changes in Rows 7 and 8 are part of the pattern’s built-in edge treatment. Since the scarf starts with just 3 stitches, those early rows act as a setup section to gradually build stitches while creating a tidy border that helps prevent rolling.
Even though those rows aren’t pure stockinette, they’re only there to shape the edges. Once you’re further along, the main fabric will absolutely look like the smooth stockinette shown in the photos.
Happy knitting!
Megan
Just casted on last night! I am not super experienced, so I am a little confused.
For the rows that do not notate RS/WS (ie. Rows 3-4, 7-8), do you just slip 1 normally (purlwise)?
Or do you slip as the notes dictate for RS/WS (Right Side: Slip stitches purlwise through back leg with yarn in front. Wrong Side: Slip stitches knitwise with yarn in back.)?
Hi Kiki!
Thank you for your question! For every row, even the ones that don’t specifically say RS or WS, you’ll slip the first stitch according to the Notes for that side of the fabric. Rows 3–4 and 7–8 follow the same rule. The pattern just doesn’t restate RS/WS each time, but the sides continue alternating as usual. I hope that clarifies things!
Happy knitting!
Megan
Hi,
I’ve repeated rows 7 and 8 (56x) as per instruction and it does not yield 82 stitches as indicated in pattern. According to the pattern, after row 6 should yield 9 stitches, and with 1 increase stitch per row for row 8, it comes out to about only 65 stitches. Is this right? Thank you
Hi Tracy!
Thank you so much for writing in today with your question!
I think I see where the confusion might be, and the good news is you’re definitely on the right track!
When the pattern says to repeat Rows 7 and 8 fifty-six (82) more times, the final stitch count is shown at the end of the line in brackets like this: “Repeat Rows 7 and 8 fifty-six (82) more times. [66 (92) stitches].” So, if you’re working the small size, you should end up with 66 stitches (the large size would end this row with 92 stitches).
A tip: You can try placing a stitch marker every 10 stitches and double-check if you have 66 stitches instead of 65. I hope that helps! Feel free to reach out anytime if you have more questions.
Happy knitting and I hope you enjoy your True Knit Shawl!
Hills
Hi Hillary,
Thank you for the clarification. Also,I am using the cashmere DK yarn, is that compatible with the pattern since the picture shown is Aran yarn. I’m afraid the yarn I am using is too light or fragile and make it more prone to curling.
Hi Tracy!
I would knit a gauge swatch and see if you can achieve gauge for the pattern. Nigh Aran is 4 sts/in and Cashmere Merino Bloom is 5 sts/in, so I would recommend swatching on smaller needles than the pattern calls for to see if you can get gauge. If this works up to a fabric you like, just work the first half until it reaches half the final size you want, then begin the second half as written. I hope this helps, please feel free to reach out with any other questions you have!
Happy knitting!
Hills
Hello!
I have tried this twice and it doesn’t come out correctly. When I get to row eight and M1L purlwise I end up with a purl stitch on the front of the stockinette. Could you tell me what I am doing wrong. I am also on the knit side and not the purl side. I pick up the bar front to back and purl into the back loop. It creates a purl stitch on what I usually would call the right side.
Thanks so much! I hope I described this clearly.
Hi Sandra!
Thank you so much for writing in with your question! Great work so far on your True Knit Shawl!
Row 8 is a wrong side row and should be made up of primarily purl stitches with a knit selvage edge. Without seeing the work, I can guess that maybe we missed a row somewhere (if we’re on the right side and would like to be on the wrong side), but you did mention trying this twice!
It can be a bit tricky to know for sure without seeing the work, but I’d suggest you send an image of your project to [email protected] and we’d be happy to take a look and help get you back on track! We also offer 1-on-1 Help sessions and would be happy to work up to Row 8 with you!
Happy knitting!
Hills