Plein soleil

Plein Soleil Shawl by Isabell Kraemer

Design Overview

Plein Soleil is a handknit shawl design created by Isabell Kraemer of grasflecken. This intermediate-level knitting project is worked in 4-ply yarn weight and produces a finished piece measuring 4 x 4 inches (10 x 10 centimeters) per 26 stitches and 40 rows when worked in the primary stitch pattern and blocked. The shawl is designed for knitters with some experience who are comfortable working with circular needles and following stitch abbreviations.

Materials Required

Yarn: Nature's Luxury ON STAGE LONG MÉTRAGE in 4-ply weight is used for this design. The pattern requires approximately 1313 yards (1200 meters) of yarn, which equals 3 skeins at 438 yards (400 meters) per 100-gram skein. The sample shown is worked in the colorway L'Été Meurtrier.

Needles: US 3 (3.25 millimeter) circular needle measuring 40 inches (100 centimeters) in length, or the size needed to achieve the specified gauge.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

This shawl employs a combination of fundamental and intermediate knitting techniques. The primary stitch pattern is worked in 1x1 Rib combined with slip stitch patterning, creating visual texture and drape in the finished garment.

Key stitches and techniques used include:

• Knit (k): The basic knit stitch forms the foundation of the fabric
• Purl (p): Purl stitches are combined with knits to create the ribbed texture
• Knit 2 together (k2tog): A right-leaning decrease used to shape the shawl
• Knit front and back (kfb): An increase technique that creates an extra stitch from a single stitch
• Left leaning slip stitch (LLSS): Created by slipping one stitch purlwise with yarn in back, then working a kfb increase and passing the slipped stitch over, this creates a decorative left-leaning decrease
• Pass 2 slipped stitches over (p2sso): A double decrease technique for shaping
• Slip stitch (sl): Stitches are slipped purlwise with yarn in back to create clean stitch edges

Construction Method

The shawl is constructed using circular needles, which allow for working in the round or in rows depending on the pattern instructions. Markers are placed at strategic points to track pattern repeats and shaping increases and decreases. The combination of increases (kfb and yarn overs) and decreases (k2tog, LLSS, and p2sso) creates the shaping that forms the shawl's silhouette.

Finishing

The finished shawl requires blocking to achieve the specified gauge and to even out the stitches. Blocking helps set the shape and allows the slip stitch and ribbed patterns to fully develop their intended appearance.