The Grandmillennial Shawl

The name for this shawl came from a few different sources. In the first place, grandmillennial décor is an interior style that incorporates maximalism and classic design elements in a mashup style reminiscent of many grandmothers’ homes. It’s a décor style that has been embraced by some millennials and has drawn a lot of curiosity (perhaps confusion?) from others.

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It’s also a gentle poke at all the obnoxious news articles about how something is “not your grandma’s knitting.” Grandmas are cool! I like my grandma! And while my own grandma isn’t a knitter, a lot of my designs do draw inspiration from previous eras. Around here, this is 100% your grandma’s knitting, and I’m proud of it.

Details

The Grandmillennial Shawl is a simple, asymmetrical triangle knit in seed stitch with a dramatic ruffle border. It’s inspired by opera coats of the late 19th century with their luxe materials and fur trim, and while I have no interest in working with fur, I’m very interested in mimicking the look. This shawl will be a relatively quick but meditative knit that is highly adjustable by size, and the ruffle at the end is extremely satisfying as it grows and pleats on your needles.

Yarn

The Grandmillennial Shawl is knit with 600 yds of DK-weight yarn; and 550 yds of lace-weight silk-mohair yarn, held double. The sample was knit in Purl Soho Cashmere Merino Bloom, 75% extra fine merino wool and 25% cashmere, 218 yds (199 m) per 3.5 oz (100 g); and Purl Soho Tussock, 60% super fine kid mohair and 40% mulberry silk, 328 yds (300 m) per 0.88 oz (25 g).

Techniques

This is the perfect pattern for an adventurous knitter. It uses basic increases and simple lace to shape the shawl and create the ruffle edge.  The majority of the shawl is knit in seed stitch, so you’ll only need to know how to knit and purl for that section, plus work yarnovers for the increase at the end of each right-side row.

Get the pattern for free

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