Product Description
Counterbalance: a weight or force that balances or offsets another.
This knit is a study in simple poise. Each side perfectly complements the other, creating a fully reversible shawl with a delightful balance of knit and purl, lace and texture, curves and angles. Quick, straightforward, and adjustable, this shawl will keep you in perfect equilibrium.
This pattern is presented in both written and charted formats, and requires only fairly basic lace stitches and increases. The pattern also includes instructions for adjusting the shawl to a wide range of sizes. And because of the unique combination of stitches used in this pattern, it works very well for yarn that's too variegated for regular lace shawls!
Counterbalance Shawl by appletreeknits
What is Being Made
The Counterbalance Shawl is a fully reversible knit shawl designed by Liz Capik. This intermediate-level project explores the concept of balance and symmetry, with each side perfectly complementing the other. The shawl features a thoughtful interplay of knit and purl stitches, lace sections, and textured elements, creating a design that is visually interesting from both sides. The name reflects the garment's philosophy: a study in simple poise where curves and angles work together in equilibrium.
Techniques Used
The Counterbalance Shawl employs several fundamental knitting techniques to achieve its reversible, balanced aesthetic. The pattern utilizes both knit and purl stitches as primary structural elements, creating visual contrast and texture throughout the piece. Lace work is incorporated into the design, adding openness and delicate detailing. The shawl is constructed using a modular approach where sections can be adjusted by altering the number of rows knitted, making it a customizable project. This straightforward construction method allows knitters to modify the finished size without complex pattern adjustments.
Stitches Used
- Knit stitch — the fundamental stitch forming the base structure
- Purl stitch — used to create textured contrast and reversibility
- Lace stitches — incorporated for openwork sections and delicate patterning
Materials
The Counterbalance Shawl requires 450 yards (411 meters) of fingering weight yarn. The pattern was designed and shown using Apple Tree Knits Plush fingering in the Jungle colorway, which is composed of 100% superwash merino in a two-ply construction. The yarn specified for the sample has a yardage of 560 yards (512 meters) per 4 ounces (113 grams). Knitters will need US size #6 (4 mm) circular needles, with a circular needle recommended to accommodate the width of the knitted sections as the shawl grows.
Pattern Flexibility
One of the key features of the Counterbalance Shawl is its adjustability. Knitters can easily modify the finished size by altering the number of rows knitted in each section, allowing for customization based on personal preference or available yarn quantity. This flexibility makes the pattern accessible to knitters working with similar yardage in fingering weight yarn, even if the exact yardage differs slightly from the specified 450 yards.
```Specifications
| Brand: | Independent Designer |
| Yarn Weight: | 4 Ply |
| Designer: | appletreeknits |
| Craft: | Knitting |
| Format: | Downloadable PDF |
| Languages: | English |
| Number of Patterns: | 1 |
| Skill Level: | Intermediate |
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