Common's Drape

Overview

Launched on 2nd June 2015 to coincide with the 175th anniversary of Thomas Hardy’s birth at Higher Bockhampton in Dorset, This deep ‘V’ shaped shawl is knitted from the top down.
Starting with a garter tab, it then combines three different textured sections with contrasting garter stripes. Each textured section is easily mastered and being worked on a 4mm needle makes this a quick but interesting knit.
The ‘V’ shape is deep at the back and the sides wrap and sit nicely at the neck and to the front.
Common’s Drape takes it’s name from the Thomas Hardy poem ‘On a Heath’, which starts:
I could hear a gown-skirt rustling 
Before I could see her shape, 
Rustling through the heather 
That wove the common’s drape, 
On that evening of dark weather 
When I hearkened, lips agape.
 

Size

Wingspan – 54 inches / 137cm
Drop – 21 inches / 53 cm

Yarn

Old Maiden Aunt 4 ply Shetland fingering 183 meters / 50 grams:
Colour A: 2 x 50g skeins
Colour B: 1 x 50g skein
Sample: Jasper (main) and Blow Winds Blow (contrast)

Gauge

22.5 stitches and 32 rows = 10 cmx 10cm ( 4x4 inches) in Garter stitch

Needles & Materials

4mm (US6) needles, or needle size to achieve gauge
Tapestry needle

Format

The pattern is provided as a 4 page English Language PDF download
To read more about this pattern, please see this blog post