The Shape of Color

The Shape of Color Shawl by Justyna Lorkowska

What is Being Made

The Shape of Color is a knitted shawl designed by Justyna Lorkowska. This one-size shawl measures approximately 165 cm (65 inches) wide and 75 cm (30 inches) long, making it a generous triangular or crescent-shaped wrap suitable for layering or wearing as a traditional shawlette.

Craft and Technique

This project is created using the knitting craft. The shawl employs brioche knitting as its primary technique, a specialized method that creates a distinctive textured fabric with a three-dimensional, elastic quality. Brioche knitting involves slipping stitches in one row and working them together with yarn overs in the following row, producing a reversible fabric with characteristic horizontal ridges and exceptional drape.

Stitches Used

The pattern utilizes several key brioche stitches and standard knitting techniques:

• Brioche knit (brk) - the foundational stitch that knits a slipped stitch together with its yarn over from the previous row
• Brioche purl (brp) - the purl equivalent of brioche knit, creating texture variation
• Brioche knit 2-stitch increase (brkyobrk) - an increase method that creates two stitches from one by working a brioche knit without dropping the stitch, adding a yarn over, then brioche knitting the same stitch again
• Brioche knit 4-stitch increase (brk4st inc) - a larger increase technique for shaping
• Standard knit (k) and knit through front and back (kfb) for basic increases
• Knit two together (k2tog) for decreases
• Make one left (m1L) - an invisible increase worked between stitches

Materials

This shawl is worked in 4-ply weight yarn, requiring 3 skeins of Martin's Lab Comfy Merino (100% merino wool; 400 meters/439 yards per 100-gram skein) or any comparable yarn of the same weight and yardage. The merino fiber choice provides softness, breathability, and the elasticity needed for brioche knitting's characteristic stretch and recovery.

Difficulty Level

The Shape of Color is rated as a beginner level pattern, making it accessible to knitters new to shawl construction. However, brioche knitting itself requires understanding of the technique before beginning, so knitters unfamiliar with brioche stitches may benefit from practicing these techniques separately or consulting supplementary brioche knitting tutorials.