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Top Notched Shawl

November 2, 2015 17 Comments

Get your hands on this fun, free & easy pattern for a square knit shawl, perfect to show off those fancy, one-skein yarns you haven't quite found the right use for!

Do you ever have gorgeous skein of yarn in  your stash that you can never quite find the perfect use for? I recently got my hands on a small skein of pink yarn with a yellow/green gradient section. After sitting with it for a couple weeks, I realized it would be fun to design a square shawl with it to highlight the shape of the garment and how the colors change as you knit.

Get your hands on this fun, free & easy pattern for a square knit shawl, perfect to show off those fancy, one-skein yarns you haven't quite found the right use for!

Constructed from the center out, you add stitches at the edges and evenly across each quarter of the shawl. Increasing the stitches in this way creates a perfectly square shape, with an opening along one edge from the center to accomodate the wearer’s head. I love how the color change “turns” each corner of the square, highlighting the shawl’s bold, geometric shape!

Get your hands on this fun, free & easy pattern for a square knit shawl, perfect to show off those fancy, one-skein yarns you haven't quite found the right use for!

The yarn I used for this comes from Bijou Basin Ranch, and it’s a specially dyed gradient yarn using their 50% yak/50% silk blend yarn, Shangri-La. So soft and light! This shawl is like wearing butterfly wings and is perfect for keeping the breeze off your skin as temperatures change in fall and spring.

The Top Notched Shawl - Get your hands on this fun, free & easy pattern for a square knit shawl, perfect to show off those fancy, one-skein yarns you haven't quite found the right use for!

Top Notched Shawl – the free pattern

Supplies

US size 3 knitting needles – long circular needles recommended
1 skein yarn, any size – lace or fingering weight recommended
3 stitch markers
scissors
crochet hook or tapestry needle for weaving in ends

Abbreviations

CO – cast on
WS – wrong side
RS – right side
k – knit
p – purl
yo – yarn over
pm – place marker
m- marker
sts – stitches
sl m – slip marker
BO – bind off

Pattern

CO 9 sts

garter ridge stripes
odd rows 1-19.
(WS) k across.
2. (RS) k1, (yo, k1, yo, k1, pm) 3 times, (yo, k1) 2 times.
even rows 4-20. k1, (yo, k to 1 st before m, yo, k1, sl m) 3 times, yo, k to last st, yo, k1.

stockinette stripes
odd rows 21-39. (WS) k1, (p to m, sl m, k1) 3 times, p to last st, k1.
even rows 22-40. (RS) repeat rows 4-20.

Continue alternating rows 1-20 and rows 21-40 until you are nearly to the end of your skein. BO in pattern, weave in ends and block to finish.

The Top Notched Shawl - Get your hands on this fun, free & easy pattern for a square knit shawl, perfect to show off those fancy, one-skein yarns you haven't quite found the right use for!

The Top Notched Shawl - Get your hands on this fun, free & easy pattern for a square knit shawl, perfect to show off those fancy, one-skein yarns you haven't quite found the right use for!

The yarn pictured was provided by Bijou Basin Ranch. 

Filed Under: Free Patterns, Knitting, Knitting & Crochet Tagged With: bijou basin ranch, free knitting pattern, free pattern, one skein knitting pattern, one skein pattern, shawl pattern, square shawl, top notched shawl

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad (she/her) is a craft book author & designer specializing in yarn crafts. Her work combines vintage and modern design elements, prioritizing color and graphic motifs. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

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Comments

  1. Catherine

    November 8, 2015 at 8:26 am

    This is lovely – would it be possible to see a photo of it worn, from the front? I’m having trouble envisioning how the fronts drape. From the back it looks a lot like a triangular shawl. Thank you for the free pattern!

    Reply
    • Heidi

      November 9, 2015 at 8:48 am

      Sure! I just added a couple of the outtakes to the post for reference.

      Reply
  2. Krista

    May 11, 2016 at 4:00 am

    I like this pattern so much! But — I think you are missing a YO at the end of the row 4-20 section, after you slip the last marker.

    Thank you for the pattern, and I am enjoying your blog.

    Reply
    • Heidi

      May 13, 2016 at 8:13 am

      You’re right! Thank you, Krista! It’s been fixed.

      Reply
  3. Jane Snyder

    September 10, 2016 at 9:28 am

    Can’t wait to make the shawl thank you have a good day

    Reply
    • Heidi

      September 10, 2016 at 5:33 pm

      You too!

      Reply
  4. Fran

    July 8, 2017 at 9:53 am

    Could not find yarn with the gradient stripes.

    Reply
    • Heidi

      July 8, 2017 at 3:35 pm

      You can find gradient or variegated yarn at JoAnn’s & Michaels, as well as many local yarn shops. The selection can vary at local stores, so you may want to call ahead to confirm before making the trip.

      Reply
  5. Jeannie

    July 11, 2017 at 4:07 am

    This is beautiful! Perhaps this one will stay on my shoulders without a clip or me hanging onto it :-) Just hoping mine turns out as pretty as yours!

    Reply
    • Heidi

      July 11, 2017 at 4:56 pm

      Well, thanks! :) It’s a fun one to knit too! I gave the one pictured to one of my grandmothers, and she loved it. I might have to make another soon!

      Reply
  6. Lena Samuelsson

    July 16, 2017 at 5:03 am

    Wow what a beautiful shawl. And a nice shape. I have some yarn that I had bought on Wish and now I know what to do with it. I have been printed out the pattern and will try to translate it to swedish for my own personal use, if I don’t managed to read it on english. Thanks for sharing your work

    Reply
  7. Toni

    July 18, 2017 at 9:11 am

    I can not find the yarn for the top notch shawl that you used from the web site that is with the task. I really like that color.

    Reply
    • Heidi

      July 18, 2017 at 9:42 am

      Bijou Basin Ranch does a series of yarns with indie dyers, and I believe there’s a limited quantity of each color. Here’s the section of their website featuring the various indie dyers: http://www.bijoubasinranch.com/indie-dyers/. If you’re looking for something specific, the folks who run that yarn company are very nice. You could reach out to them in their “contact us” section to see if they’re getting more of this pretty color!

      Reply
  8. lilla

    November 8, 2017 at 2:27 am

    Hi Heidi! I used your pattern to knit a baby blanket and I translated it in Italian. Hope you agree. If not so please let me know and I’ll delete my post.
    http://spaziolilla.blogspot.it

    Reply
    • Heidi

      November 8, 2017 at 4:11 pm

      Great! I just emailed you. :)

      Reply
  9. Anne Kwo

    October 18, 2019 at 1:37 pm

    how many yards of each color in lace weight yarn. I love the colors you used!

    Reply
    • Heidi

      October 22, 2019 at 9:20 pm

      The yarn I worked with was self-striping, and the shawl is actually designed to work with any yardage. The shawl pictured used one ball of the yarn mentioned in the post. :)

      Reply

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), and I’ve been helping yarn crafters untangle various techniques on the internet since 2010. I got my start here, as a blogger, and since then I’ve shared more than a few tutorials here and on YouTube as I’ve grown as a pattern designer. 🧶 

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Heidi Gustad 🧶 knitting & yarn crafts

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Knitting & yarn crafts designer 🧶
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Stay up-to-date 💌 & shop new patterns ⤵️

POV: Showing you how my new Bevelled Tank pattern POV: Showing you how my new Bevelled Tank pattern fits with no ease vs. 4” of positive ease. There’s a bit more length to the cotton (brighter color) sample, but both are cropped and feature shoulder seams designed to sit an inch back onto the shoulder instead of on top, giving it a little swing. Length is easily adjustable for folks looking for less of a crop. 
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Pattern: Bevelled Tank by @handsoccupied for @pompommag x @hobbii_yarn summer 2024. Available for free from Hobbii at the 🔗 in my profile.
Yarn pictured: @kelbournewoolens Skipper and Camper. 
Dress form is adjusted to a 36” chest and ~5’3”ish in height. 
Human has a 40” chest and is 5’5”.
Both skirts are vintage.
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #handsoccupied #intarsia #handmade #knitting #colorwork
Let’s talk about fit and ease! . During the Beve Let’s talk about fit and ease!
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During the Bevelled Tank design process for @pompommag, I knit 2 samples using 2 different @KelbourneWoolens yarns. One was in Skipper (100% cotton, second photo) and the other was in Camper (100% 2 ply wool). The Skipper sample was knit for a 36” bust, which measures in at 40” with 4” of positive ease. And I knit the Camper Sample for my 40” bust with a 44” finished measurement. (BTW, I’m 5’5” for folks that find that measurement helpful in visualizing fit.)
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Based on the size chart for the Bevelled Tank, that means I knit one size 3 sample and one size 4. As designed, I conveniently fit a size 4 as intended with 4” of positive ease. When I wear the 3, there is no ease at all because the garment and my body are both 40” in size. Comparing the 2 garments, you can see how the fiber content (cotton vs. wool) and fit (no ease vs. 4” of positive ease) makes a difference in the look and feel of the finished garment. 
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These samples are a great way to compare what ease looks like on different bodies. While I can fit both a size 3 and 4, the garment with no ease feels more like pajamas or a bralette when I wear it. On the other hand, when I wear the one with 4” of positive ease, I feel comfortable enough to wear it to work, even as a crop top. Plus, it leaves me with enough room to layer it with a nice button down if I’m not feeling the cropped look one day. 
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I’m curious - how would you style this tank? Would you modify it with a few stockinette rows for added length? I’m so curious now that this pattern is finally out in the world. :) 
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #bevelledtank #handsoccupied #knitting #intarisa #handmade #kelbournewoolens #croppedsweater #summerknits
After a 6 month hiatus, I am happy to say I’m ba After a 6 month hiatus, I am happy to say I’m back with a brand new pattern in 9 sizes, and it’s FREE as part of @pompommag x @hobbii_yarn’s summer design collection! (Link is in my bio.)
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In my December newsletter, I announced that I was soliciting test knitters for a pattern that had originally been selected for the summer ’24 issue of Pom Pom Quarterly magazine. However, the magazine ceased publication after its spring ’24 issue, leaving in-progress designs unpublished. (It happens.) As a result, I’d begun the long process of editing, testing, and photographing the pattern for independent release through the Hands Occupied pattern shop and Ravelry.
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Before I was done with that process, Pom Pom Quarterly’s former editors reached out with an exciting proposal for the pattern. Post-magazine, they’ve begun to partner with yarn companies to produce high quality pattern collections. They wanted to include designs from the would-be current issue of Pom Pom Quarterly in a new collection for Hobbii yarn, including my Bevelled Tank. I worked with the same technical editors I would have for the magazine on this one, and as you can see from the photos, Pom Pom’s team did an amazing job of styling the garment to the beautiful standards they’re known for.
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You can learn more about the pattern on my blog and get the free pattern from Hobbii yarn - links to both in my profile. I’ll post sizing info in the comments for quick reference too. 🧶
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #knitting #intarsia #sponsored #colorworkknitting 
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Photos: @dianascarrunz 
Model: @angel.jade_
Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vi Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vintage knitting pattern from 1938 called the Fernlace Pullover. A pattern so nice, I knit it twice.
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Blue version 💙: knit with @eweeweyarns Ewe So Sporty in Sky Blue. Paired with the 1940s Boardwalk Duet sewing pattern from @decades_of_style 
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Head to my stories for 🔗🔗 to the handmade wardrobe blog posts I wrote about each take on the Fernlace Pullover, working with a vintage pattern, where to find vintage patterns (including the one I used), & some thoughts on sizing. 
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Image descriptions available in alt text. 
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Frogging is a word in the knitting world that mean Frogging is a word in the knitting world that means to rip out your knitting. It’s called frogging because frogs say “ribbit,” and when you’re tearing out your knitting, you will “rip it” out, and that sounds like ribbit. No really. 🐸 Did you know this fun fact? 
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P.S. I did like this design concept, but to make the pattern more knitter friendly as well as more wearable, I am making some tweaks to the construction. Excited to share when it’s ready! 🥰🧶
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Yarn: @blueskyfibers Woolstok North in Morning Frost & Highland Fleece 
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#handsoccupied #knitting #frogging #blueskyfibers #knittersofinstagram #blueskymakers #knittingvocabulary #bsfmakers #knitdesign
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