Koigu Classic Feature: Charlotte's Web Shawl

Three amazing things arrived in the world in 1998: Kersti and I (her cousin) were born 2 days apart and then the Charlotte’s Web Shawl arrived shortly after! Maie, the founder of Koigu Wool Designs, was asked to design a simple shawl and, not knowing the rules of knitting with lace, she used some variegated lace merino ends she had lying around and got to work. This had pretty much not been done before as it was an unspoken rule that classic lacework should always only be in solid colours.

Little Kersti modelling the Charlotte’s Web.

Maie began to knit a shawl in a simple lace pattern but got creative by interchanging the variegated colorways. Once the shawl was done she sent it off to be published and thought no more of it. But the response to the pattern Charlotte’ Web was wild! People all over just HAD to make it. It was later published in Wrapped in Color as well as in Knits from a Painters palette.

The pattern is now legendary among knitters. The shawl uses five different variegated colorways, each one eased into the next in whichever amounts you wish to add your own style to it. The Charlotte’s Web has been reinnovated in counteless different ways in different yarns and colourways to give it new life. It is often now knit in KPPPM fingering weight instead of lace weight. It’s simplicity and timelessness has lead to the pattern being made over 900 times on Ravelry and countless times before.

Since the original pattern was designed with ends, the Charlotte’s Web is a perfect project for Koigu pencil boxes! Ten 25g skeins are a perfect replacement for five 50g skeins and you can get even more creative with the colour.

Charlotte’s Web knit from the River Run pencil box.

Have you made a Charlotte’s Web? We would love to see it.

Tag us on Instagram @koiguwool or Facebook and we’ll share it on our story!