Aranacci Shawl

Aran + Fibonacci = Aranacci! The Aranacci Shawl is an easy-to-knit, reversible, (slightly asymmetric) triangular shawl; with a hugs-and-kisses cable running along one edge, and plenty of relaxing garter stitch in the main body of the shawl. Increases are worked using simple yarnovers, which create both an inner border of eyelets, and a decorative feature of eyelet rows which take place in a Fibonacci sequence. The eyelets have one garter ridge between them at first, then two, then three, then five, and so on following the Fibonacci sequence.

The Fibonacci sequence (named after an Italian mathematician who first described it in the West in 1202) is a series of numbers in which each number is the sum of the two that precede it. So 1 is followed by 2 (1 + 1), then 3 (1 + 2), 5 (2 + 3), 8 (3 + 5), and so on. This sequence is found to occur mysteriously often not only in mathematics, but also in biology (e.g. flower petal arrangement, tree branches, snail shell curvature). In our case, the shawl finishes with a section of 34 garter stitch ridges, but if you have plenty of yarn, you could continue knitting theoretically forever (well, maybe with another section of 55 garter stitch ridges!)

Likewise, one of the positive features of this unisex design is that you can pause the Fibonacci sequence of garter ridges after finishing any of the garter stitch blocks, so you can create a small shawl, or continue knitting for a larger wrap.

The reversible Aran cable actually only has three different rows in the whole cable, yet looks much more impressive than that would suggest! The shawl overall strikes a balance between relaxing garter stitch and an interesting (but not too taxing) cable.

Size Wingspan: 69”/175cm Depth: 32”/81cm

Notions: Cable Needle Tapestry Needle (to weave in ends) Stitch markers optional (for marking border, start of cable, etc.)

Notes Written and charted instructions are included. The pattern is worked flat, in one piece, starting from the smallest point and increasing as it is worked.

As a knitter from the Aran Islands, I love taking elements of our craft history and adapting them to more modern tastes.