Exhale Shawl: Free Shawl Knitting Pattern
We all know the power of a deep, cleansing breath - the kind that melts away tension and brings instant calm. Yet, when stress takes over, our breathing becomes shallow and hurried. Sometimes we even hold our breath without realising it!
Exhale is a long, triangular shawl designed to remind you to pause, breathe, and let go. The all-over lace ringlets echo the rhythm of steady inhales and exhales. The deep garter stitch border offers a soothing space for quiet reflection.
As you bind off with delicate picots, let each stitch become a moment of mindfulness. A chance to meditate on a positive thought. Or simply savour the joy of creating something beautiful.
With every stitch, Exhale becomes a gentle reminder to pause, breathe, and find peace. Whether you’re knitting for yourself or a special someone, it brings comfort and joy.
✨ Ready to knit something beautiful and calming?
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Pattern Information
Yarn
600 - 870 yd./548 - 795 m
Fingering/4-ply
Round Table Yarns Camelot (80% Merino, 10% Cashmere, 10% Nylon; 100 g; 435 yd./398 m).
A merino, cashmere, and nylon blend is a good overall yarn. It’s a strong, soft, and springy yarn that has good memory and doesn’t pill or fuzz.
2 skeins in Yvain.
If you are a loose knitter or don’t often swatch for gauge, it is recommended to get a third skein of yarn or plan on binding off early.
Needles
US 5 (3.75 mm) 36 in./90 cm circular needle
• A long circular needle is recommended in order to accommodate the large number of stitches as the shawl grows.
Gauge
20 sts and 32 rows = 4 in./10 cm in lace stitch pattern with US 5 (3.75 mm) after blocking.
Gauge is not crucial to this project, but varying gauges will affect yardage and final measurements.
Notions
Stitch markers
• Darning/tapestry needle
Sizing
One size but can be easily adjusted to make smaller or larger - through the body or border.
Wingspan: 56 in./142 cm; BO edge: 41 in./104 cm
Abbreviations
BO: bind off
CO: cast on
inc’d: increased
inc(s): increase(s); increasing
k: knit
k2tog:right leaning dec; knit 2 together
kfb: knit 1 front and back
knitwise: as if to knit
m: marker
p: purl
pm: place marker
rep: repeat
RS: right side
sm: slip marker
ssk: left leaning dec; slip next 2 stitch es one at a time as if to knit, return to left needle and knit 2 together through back loops
st(s): stitch; stitches
WS: wrong side
yo: yarn over
Pattern Instructions
Construction
This shawl is knit from CO tip to BO edge, there are no decrease sections. It increases by one st every RS row. Note that the lace pattern is worked on both RS and WS rows.
Casting On
CO 7 sts using the Long Tail Cast-On. Work EXHALE PATTERN SET-UP Rows [1-24] (24 rows total; 19 total sts on the needle).
Section 1
BODY: Work EXHALE PATTERN BODY Rows [1-16] 25 times (400 rows total; 219 total sts on the needle). If you wish to make the shawl smaller or larger, work fewer or more repeats of the EXHALE PATTERN BODY.
BORDER: Work GARTER STITCH Rows [1-2] for 5 in./13 cm, ending on a WS row. At this point, you may remove the first marker leaving only the second one on the needles to help mark the kfb stitch.
Finishing
BO using the Picot BO: CO 3 sts using the cable cast-on method and bind off 9 sts. Slip the one st on the right needle back onto the left and repeat from cast-on. Continue until all sts have been bound off. Clip yarn and pull tail through rem st.
Weave in ends and block to measurements.
Stitch Patterns & Charts
GARTER STITCH (Any number of sts)
Row 1 (RS): K until 1 from marker, kfb, k until end.
Row 2 (WS): K all stitches.
EXHALE PATTERN SET-UP
Written Instructions
Row 1 (RS): K1, kfb, k5.
Row 2 (WS): K all sts.
Row 3: K2, kfb, k5.
Row 4: K all sts.
Row 5: K3, kfb, k5.
Row 6: K all sts.
Row 7: K4, kfb, k5.
Row 8: K all sts.
Row 9: K6, yo, k5.
Row 10: K5, pm, p2, pm, k5.
Row 11: K5, sm, k2 yo, sm, k5.
Row 12: K5, sm, p3, sm, k5.
Row 13: K5, sm, k3, yo, sm, k5.
Row 14: K5, sm, p4, sm, k5.
Row 15: K5, sm, yo, ssk, k2, yo, sm, k5.
Row 16: K5, sm, k1, p4, sm, k5.
Row 17: K5, sm, k1, yo, ssk, k1, p1, yo, sm, k5.
Row 18: K5, sm, p1, k1, p4, k5.
Row 19: K5, sm, k2, yo, ssk, p1, k1, yo, sm, k5.
Row 20: K5, sm, p2, k1, p4, sm, k5.
Row 21: K5, sm, k4, p1, k2, yo, sm, k5.
Row 22: K5, sm, p3, k1, p4, sm, k5.
Row 23: K5, sm, k1, yo, ssk, k1, p1, k3, yo, sm, k5.
Row 24: K5, sm, p4, k1, p4, sm, k5.
Charted Instructions
EXHALE PATTERN BODY (8 sts + 11)
Written Instructions
Row 1 (RS): K5, sm, *p2, k2tog, yo, p1, yo, ssk, p1; rep from * until 1 st before m, p1, yo, sm, k5.
Row 2 (WS): K5, sm, p1, k1, *[k1, p2] x 2, k2; rep from * until m, sm, k5.
Row 3: K5, sm, *p1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk; rep from * until 2 sts before m, p1, k1, yo, sm, k5.
Row 4: K5, sm, p2, k1, *p7, k1; rep from * until m, sm, k5.
Row 5: K5, sm, *p1, k7; rep from * until 3 sts before m, p1, k2, yo, sm, k5.
Row 6: K5, sm, p3, k1, *p7, k1; rep from * until m, sm, k5.
Row 7: K5, sm, *p1, k1, k2tog, yo, p1, yo, ssk, k1; rep from * until 4 sts before m, p1, k3, yo, sm, k5.
Row 8: K5, sm, k2, p2, k1, *p2, k3, p2, k1; rep from * until m, sm, k5.
Row 9: K5, sm, *p1, yo, ssk, p3, k2tog, yo; rep from * until 5 sts before m, p1, yo, ssk, p2, yo, sm, k5.
Row 10: K5, sm, p1, k2, p2, k1, *p2, k3, p2, k1; rep from * until m, sm, k5.
Row 11: K5, sm, *k2, yo, ssk, p1, k2tog, yo, k1; rep from * until 6 sts before m, k2, yo, ssk, p1, k1, yo, sm, k5.
Row 12: K5, sm, p2, k1, p4, *p3, k1, p4; rep from * until m, sm, k5.
Row 13: K5, sm, *k4, p1, k3; rep from* until 7 sts before m, k4, p1, k2, yo, sm, k5.
Row 14: K5, sm, p3, k1, p4, *p3, k1, p4; rep from * until m, sm, k5.
Row 15: K5, sm, *p1, yo, ssk, k1, p1, k1, k2tog, yo; rep from * until 8 sts before m, p1, yo, ssk, k1, p1, k3, yo, sm, k5.
Row 16: K5, sm, k2, p2, k1, p2, k2, *[k1, p2] x 2, k2; rep from * until m, sm, k5.
Charted Instructions
Techniques & Tutorials
How to Work the Picot BO: https://vimeo.com/149093895
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