Silverwing

When I visit my hometown of Whakatane, New Zealand, I enjoy going for walks along the river bank to spy on which birds are out and about. There are almost always pūkeko and shags and gulls, and quite often a flock of spoonbills or a heron. The Silverwing shawl is my attempt to capture the grace of a white-faced heron with its beautiful long wing feathers.

The shawl’s shape, an asymmetrical triangle, allows you to make a lovely long shawl from one skein of fingering-weight yarn. I chose a silk-blend gradient-dyed yarn for maximum drape and drama. The shawl can be easily enlarged if you wish.

Skills & Techniques

  • Simple lace knitting

  • K2tog-tbl bind off (optional)

  • Both charts and full written instructions are provided

Materials Needed

  • 1 skein of Ozifarmer’s Ozimerino Soie (50% merino, 50% silk; 438yds/401m per 100g) in ‘Silver’, or 438 yards / 401 metres of fingering-weight yarn. To make the most of a skein of gradient yarn, adjust the number of repeats of the final section to use up all of your yarn

  • US 6 / 4mm straight or circular needles (or needle size that gives you the right gauge)

  • A needle for weaving in the ends

  • Blocking pins and wires (optional but recommended)

Finished Measurements

  • 78”/198cm wingspan, 16.5”/42cm depth, relaxed after blocking

  • This shawl can easily be scaled up or down by working a different number of repeats.