With summer’s arrival, there’s a tendency to shy away from knitting with woolen yarns in lieu of warmer weather; however, here at Stone Wool, we relish the opportunity to knit with our lightweight Delaine Merino year-round. There are so many ways to play with and explore the unique and endearing properties of this yarn! And while sweater knitting may be on pause for the season, shawls are the perfect excuse to keep needles and skeins on the coffee (or picnic) table.

Wonderful shawl patterns proliferate; many of which are free! We handpicked a few of our favorite summertime patterns with our incredibly pliable Delaine Merino yarn in mind. Its soft and lively fiber, coupled with its natural moisture-wicking properties, make it the perfect yarn for summertime. 

To achieve the desired fabric for your shawl, we encourage you to experiment with a range of needle sizes. One of the many friendly things about shawl knitting is that gauge isn't a dealbreaker. An inch more or less one way or the other may look just as good as the given measurements, maybe even better. When in doubt, swatch! 

Below, find our curated round-up of free shawl patterns we think would knit up beautifully in our Delaine Merino yarn:

Fans of enfolding triangles will adore knitting Julie Miette's Lapsang Shawl (pictured above). In a heavier yarn, the size of this shawl would be a drawback for summer wearing; however, the buoyancy and relaxed spin of our Delaine Merino yarn yields a pliant, lightweight piece. As an added bonus, the repeating lace pattern will stand out loud and clear in the clean, saturated colors of the Delaine Merino palette.  

Stipa and Alpaga's Shawl en Mousse et Vagues is a must-knit for Feather-and-Fan devotees. The soft and bouncy hand of Delaine Merino works up beautifully in garter stitch, a dense texture stitch no matter the needle size. Delaine Merino blooms nicely when blocked, but retains its smoothness; hence, the delicate tracing of feathers and fans in the border will remain well-defined. 

Crocheters will delight in Rohn Strong's modern Sorbet Summer Shawl, worked in three colors (below). Crochet makes great mesh fabrics and we love the simplicity of this triangle worked on a slant. Delaine Merino would make a drapey crocheted mesh that would spread over your shoulders for warmth, or squish down softly when worn more around the neck. We think Alder, Sleet, and Rime would look great together for a blue version of this shawl. Rosehip, Rime, and Birch would make a rosy colorway similar to Rohn's original. 

Sari Nordlund's Kari Shawl is an ode to simplicity, comfort knitting, and single-tassel appreciation. As with Lapsang above, you needn't be put off knitting a lot of stockinette for a summer shawl. This will still feel light on the shoulders, not heavy. A simple piece like Kari is the perfect medium for showing off the beautifully saturated colors of Delaine Merino. You can make the shawl in a single color, or add a second with a tassel. Our top picks are Alder and Goldenrod, both of which look great with a pop of Saffron.  

Lastly, for lace lovers, there's no better classic triangle than the Swallowtail Shawl from Evelyn A. Clark. Again, Delaine Merino's light hand and smooth structure will nicely outline the lace pattern, while its natural bloom will provide a slight halo. And if you like lace shawls and knitting from a template pattern with various stitch options, seek out Evelyn A. Clark's Knitting Lace Triangles (Fiber Trends, 2007).

Do you have a favorite free shawl pattern you'd like to work in Delaine Merino? Let us know in the comments below!

Please note: we haven't yet knitted up these patterns in Delaine Merino, so we encourage you to reach out to the individual designers for pattern support.