Pōhutukawa Shawl

This shawl is inspired by one of Aotearoa’s most iconic trees: the Pōhutukawa. From the textured representation of the bark, to the lace and fringe in red to evoke the iconic bright red flowers.The Māori used the flowering of the Pōhutukawa tree as a seasonal indicator. The flowers blossom in December/January, granting it the nickname of the New Zealand Christmas tree.

This is a 3/4 shawl, knit top to bottom, with alternating sections of textured slip-stitches and color lace and stripes. This shawl is meant to wrap you up and keep you cozy, which it certainly did when I went to visit Aotearoa in October of this year.

The photography in this pattern is a bit of a departure from what I usually do, for the reason that my mother took these photos. She enjoys creating “diptych photos” (two images paired together), so you will see images of the shawl paired up with some of the imagery in Aotearoa, speficially in places where she grew up, including in front of the oldest Pōhutukawa tree, located in Te Araroa.

YARN

• MC: 650 - 750 yds./596 - 690 m.
• CC (with fringe): 620 - 710 yds./570 - 650 m.
• Fingering/4-ply
• Brambles & Me Rivulet (70% British Bluefaced Leicester 20% Silk 10% Cashmere ; 100 grams ; 437 yds./400 m). 2 skeins in Muddy Boots (MC) and Tender Hearts (CC).
• This yarn has a lot of drape and sheen and is incredibly soft, with a fun bounce to it.

NEEDLES

• US 5/3.5 mm size or size needed to obtain gauge, 60 in./150 cm circular needle.
• A long circular needle is recommended in order to accommodate the large number of stitches as the shawl grows.

GAUGE

• 22 sts and 36 rows over 4 in./10 cm in Pohutukawa Stripe pattern after blocking.
• Gauge is not crucial to this project, but varying gauges will affect yardage and final measurements.

NOTIONS

• Stitch markers
• Crochet hook
• Darning/tapestry needle