A joyful exploration of colour and texture, Solar Flare is a vibrant and modern asymmetrical triangle shawl. With an easy-to-wear shape and visually interesting textures, Solar Flare can be dressed up or down to match a range of outfits. Use it to add a pop of colour, or knit it in neutrals for an elegant piece. With a classic shape, this is a pattern that can be completely customised to your personal taste, but whatever you do this shawl is going to have some personality. It’s bold. Combining squishy garter stitch and an interesting brioche texture, this shawl will attract attention. The textured stitches have a dimension and presence which means that changes in angle also alter the view of the colour interplay and the appearance of the shawl, bringing Solar Flare to life when it is worn. It seems to evolve as you move, which makes this a statement piece. A sideways knitting journey, Solar Flare combines simple shawl shaping with brioche to make a knit enjoyable enough to keep advanced knitters interested, but suitable and approachable enough for intermediate knitters looking to add brioche to their knitting repertoire. Like all my patterns, Solar Flare is easier to knit than it looks, while still remaining interesting enough to be an enjoyable project.

Solar Flare is a collaboration with Revive Designs NZ – a lovely indie dyer from New Zealand who created these colours specifically to suit the type of colourplay I wanted to achieve with this pattern. Highly contrasting colours for the brioche texture sections are recommended to achieve a similar result. The garter sections are perfect for choosing a colour that helps to tie these colours together – ideal for a variegated, speckled or handpainted yarn option. Solar Flare is also an excellent pattern for scrap yarn usage – combine co-ordinating scrap yarn for different segments of the shawl with that single skein in your stash that you haven’t got a plan for yet. The garter sections could each be worked in a different scrap yarn. Or each brioche texture section could pair a different set of scrap yarns or a set of scrap yarns with a consistent colour. Options for combining yarns in this project are plentiful. This is an opportunity to play with what you have to create a piece that you love and the pattern support includes information on yarn usage for each section to support planning the project in this fashion. The pattern even includes a few notes on colour dominance in the brioche sections.

Although Solar Flare can be personalised to your taste, this is a bold piece. It is just a little bit different. When worn, it will catch the eye and stand out. Ready for a statement piece in your shawl collection? Looking to branch out and try shawls for the first time? This might just be the pattern you’ve been looking for.

Pattern includes full written instructions and charts for the brioche sections.
Pattern has been professionally tech edited and test knitted.

First time trying brioche?
Solar Flare is suitable for intermediate knitters. The pattern comes with a video tutorial that demonstrates all the main techniques needed for this pattern including the cast on, increases and decreases used, and all the brioche techniques required. There is also a brioche technique booklet PDF that is provided together with the pattern as well for reference specifically around the brioche techniques. The brioche texture stitch follows a simple pattern, suitable for people who are trying to add the technique to their repertoire. It is particularly accessible as every second row returns the stitches to classic knitting stitches, making it easier to count and track the pattern compared to many brioche projects. The pattern does assume that you know how to knit, purl, slip st and recognise st on your needles. All other techniques are demonstrated and/or further explained in the pattern support.

Gauge
Gauge is not crucial for this project, though it will change the final dimensions and yarn usage. Information on how to swatch for this project is included in the pattern support. Gauge is 23 sts and 48 rows = 10cm / 4” in both brioche and garter st after blocking in the same manner as the shawl will be blocked.

Needles & notions
3mm / US size 2.5 circular needles (recommended 60cm / 24” or longer in length). Needles must be circular for brioche.
1 stitch marker
Yarn needle
Optional but recommended: blocking wires

Yarn required
Fingering / 4-ply.
Sample shown in Revive Designs sock yarn; 85% superwash Merino, 15% Nylon; 400m / 437 yards per 100g.
90g each in three colours: “Sunspots” (Colour A, variegated) “Eclipse” (Colour B, charcoal) and “Sunrise” (Colour C, saffron).

Finished shawl dimensions
Depth: 62cm (24.5 inches)
Wingspan: 175cm (69 inches)
(after blocking)