Pattern Spotlight: The VL Shawl (Knit)

Aug 4
3 min read

There is a moment in the VL Shawl when the fabric shifts. You work through the upper section in suri, with its soft, haloed quality that wraps you up like a cloud which is hard to capture just how soft it is in a photograph. And then the DK variegated section begins, and the whole character of the piece changes. More textured, richer in color, anchored in a way the suri section is not. The contrast between the two is the whole point, and it is genuinely striking.

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Shawls are one of the most versatile things you can knit, and the VL Shawl takes that versatility and adds a design concept to it. This is not just a shawl that holds your yarn choices. It is a shawl that was designed to make two very different fibers work together in a way that feels considered and intentional. The stitch pattern stays simple throughout so the fiber can do the work, and the result is something that looks more complex than it is to make.

About the Design

The VL Shawl is a one-size design worked in suri held double for the upper section and DK variegated yarn at the point of the shawl. The finished dimensions are 24 inches deep by 64 inches long after blocking. It is knit on US 6 and US 7 needles depending on the section.

The stitch pattern is intentionally clean and uncomplicated throughout. This is a case where the design does not need to work hard to look interesting, because the fiber combination and the color story in the variegated yarn handle all of that. Accessible for confident beginners, engaging for experienced knitters.

Let's Talk Suri

Suri alpaca is one of those fibers that makes you understand why people build stashes. It has a silky, luminous drape that photographs beautifully and feels luxurious to wear. The fibers are long and smooth rather than crimped, which is what gives it that flowing quality that you do not get from wool or most plant fibers. But even though I love suri there are many other fluffy, lace weight yarns you can use. The most common is mohair!

In the VL Shawl, suri is held double in the upper section, which gives the fabric more body than a single strand while keeping the characteristic drape and halo intact. It also allows for an opportunity to marl colors. Grab two different tonals, two different variegated, or a combo to create a unique blend of the colorways. Each stitch looks different from the last. (Photo to the right is two different variegated suri colorways marled together).

If you have never worked with suri before, the main things to know are that it does not have much elasticity and that blocking makes a significant difference to the finished size. Give it a good soak after you finish and let it dry flat. The shawl will open up beautifully.