Reyna Shawl. Photo © Noora Laivola
Reyna by Noora Backlund is a free one-skein shawl knitting pattern designed especially for those beautiful skeins of variegated sock yarn that can sometimes be difficult to match with the right project.
Alternating sections of simple garter stitch and open mesh allow the yarn's changing colors to remain the star of the project. The shawl is worked from the top down in one seamless piece and requires approximately 380–420 yards (347–384 m) of fingering-weight yarn.
Reyna Shawl Pattern Details
- Designer: Noora Backlund
- Published: June 2015
- Craft: Knitting
- Category: Shawl / Wrap
- Pattern availability: Free Ravelry download
- Shape: Triangle
- Style: Adult / teen / unisex
- Yarn weight: Light Fingering / fingering sock yarn
- Yardage: Approximately 380–420 yards (347–384 m)
- Suggested needle: US 4 (3.5 mm)
- Gauge: No fixed gauge specified by the designer
- Construction: Top down and worked flat
- Construction style: One piece and seamless
- Stitches: Garter stitch and mesh
- Pattern format: Written instructions
- Languages: English, French and German, with an additional Hungarian translation available separately
A One-Skein Shawl for Variegated Sock Yarn
Reyna was created to solve a problem familiar to many knitters: finding the right project for a gorgeous skein of variegated sock yarn.
Highly variegated yarn can sometimes hide complicated lace or textured stitches. Reyna takes the opposite approach and uses relatively simple stitch patterns that give the colors room to shine.
One skein of fingering-weight yarn is enough for the original shawl, making this a particularly useful pattern for special hand-dyed yarn waiting in your stash.
Garter Stitch and Mesh
The shawl alternates between garter-stitch sections and open mesh sections.
Garter stitch creates calm bands of texture where the yarn's colors can flow naturally, while the mesh opens the fabric and adds a lighter, airier appearance.
The contrast between these two simple textures gives the shawl its distinctive look without competing with a colorful yarn.
Top-Down Triangle Construction
Reyna is a top-down triangular shawl.
The project begins at the middle of the long upper edge and gradually expands outward as you work toward the lower point.
The entire shawl is knitted flat as one continuous piece, so there are no separate sections to sew together afterward.
Finished Size
Noora Backlund's original blocked sample measures approximately 58 inches (148 cm) along the top edge.
From the middle of the top edge to the center tip, it measures about 21½ inches (55 cm).
These measurements are for the designer's sample. Your finished size can vary depending on yarn, needle size, gauge and how many rows you choose to work.
No Fixed Gauge Required
One unusual and useful feature of Reyna is that the designer intentionally does not specify one required gauge.
Instead, Noora recommends choosing a needle size that creates a fabric you like.
The goal is to achieve enough drape for a comfortable shawl without making the fabric excessively loose and see-through.
The listed 3.5 mm (US 4) needle is therefore a useful starting point rather than a rigid requirement.
The Original Reyna Yarn
The original sample was knitted with Miss Babs Cosmic Hand Painted Sock in the Gal Noir colorway.
This fingering-weight sock yarn contains 80% merino wool and 20% nylon and has approximately 400 yards per skein.
That combination fits the central idea behind Reyna perfectly: take one beautiful skein of colorful sock yarn and turn it into a wearable shawl.
Other Suggested Yarns
The current pattern listing also suggests popular fingering and sock yarns such as:
- Malabrigo Yarn Sock
- Hedgehog Fibres Sock
- Miss Babs Cosmic Hand Painted Sock
You do not need to use one of these exact yarns. A fingering-weight yarn with suitable yardage and a fabric you enjoy can work well.
Solid, Tonal or Variegated Yarn?
Although Reyna was specifically designed with variegated yarn in mind, the pattern does not require it.
A solid yarn will emphasize the contrast between garter stitch and mesh, while a tonal yarn can provide subtle color movement.
Speckled and highly variegated yarns can be particularly fun because the simple stitch patterns allow their colors to remain clearly visible.
An Adjustable Shawl Pattern
Reyna is also easy to adapt if your skein contains slightly more or less yarn than the original.
The designer explains that the number of rows in the garter and mesh sections can be changed to adjust the finished size.
This flexibility is especially useful for one-skein projects because yarn quantities can vary from one brand or hand-dyed skein to another.
Can You Use a Different Yarn Weight?
Yes. Noora Backlund specifically notes that heavier or lighter yarn weights can also be used.
Changing the yarn weight will change both the finished dimensions and the amount of yarn required, so choose an appropriate needle size for your yarn rather than automatically using the original 3.5 mm needles.
The most important goal is a fabric with enough drape for a shawl.
Skills Used in the Reyna Shawl
Useful techniques for this project include:
- Knitting and purling
- Garter stitch
- Working flat
- Yarn overs
- Basic increases
- Basic decreases
- Working a simple mesh pattern
- Top-down shawl shaping
- Binding off
- Blocking a shawl
A Good Introduction to Simple Lace and Mesh
Reyna can be an appealing next step if you are comfortable with basic knitting and want to try an openwork shawl without starting with a highly intricate lace pattern.
The mesh creates the airy look of lace while the garter sections provide simpler stretches of knitting between the openwork sections.
The result is enough variation to keep the project interesting without hiding the colors of the yarn beneath a very complicated stitch pattern.
Tips for a Successful One-Skein Reyna
If you have a limited amount of yarn, it is helpful to keep track of how much remains as the shawl grows.
Remember that later rows contain many more stitches than the early rows, so they consume yarn more quickly.
Because the designer allows the garter and mesh sections to be adjusted, you have some flexibility to finish the shawl according to the amount of yarn available.
Blocking the Finished Shawl
Blocking helps the mesh open and allows the triangular shape to settle into its finished dimensions.
After washing according to your yarn's care instructions, gently shape the shawl so the top edge and center point are clearly defined.
Avoid overstretching if you want to preserve the contrast between the denser garter sections and the more open mesh.
A Popular Free Shawl Pattern
Reyna has become a favorite one-skein shawl project among knitters because it combines simple construction with a clever approach to colorful yarn.
Instead of requiring the perfect solid yarn for complicated lace, it embraces the color changes already present in hand-dyed and variegated sock yarn.
The combination of an adjustable size, modest yardage and straightforward garter-and-mesh construction also makes it a pattern that can be knitted again with very different results.
Why Knit Reyna?
Reyna is particularly useful when you have one skein of colorful sock yarn and want a project designed specifically to show it off.
With approximately 380–420 yards, simple garter and mesh sections, flexible sizing and no rigid gauge requirement, the pattern gives you plenty of freedom to work with the yarn already in your stash.
And because the shawl is worked top down, flat and in one piece, the construction remains straightforward while the changing texture and yarn colors provide the visual interest.
Get the Free Reyna Shawl Knitting Pattern
The complete Reyna by Noora Backlund is currently available as a free downloadable knitting pattern from the designer's Ravelry store.
Get the Free Reyna Shawl Knitting Pattern
Pattern availability was checked when this article was updated. Availability on external websites may change over time.