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Mabon is the eighth and final festival in the Wheel of the Year. This year it falls on 22nd September, and is also known as the Autumnal Equinox or Harvest Home in the Northern Hemisphere, Spring Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere. Mabon is a time of contemplation, of looking back over the year that has passed and forward to the winter that is to come.

Mabon the shawl is a semicircle of texture. The pattern is a memorable sequence of stitches, rhythmic and contemplative. It can be knit in any weight of yarn; the pattern gives numbers for 4ply/fingering, DK and worsted weights. It uses short row techniques to achieve the semicircular shape and, since the shawl is worked in wedges, each wedge can be knit in a different colour. Four different treatments for the final unifying top edge are described. The samples show parti-colour (one half in teal, one in turquoise), alternating colours (one wedge in light grey, the next in darker grey), and all wedges the same colour. A page of blank schematics is provided at the end of the pattern for you to print out and experiment with choosing and placing colours.

Materials
Any weight yarn with good stitch definition is suitable, both solid/semi-solid yarns and variegated.
The teal and turquoise 4ply/fingering large shawl sample was knit in Doulton Border Leicester 4ply; 100% Border Leicester wool; 300 m / 328 yds per 100 g. The sample shown used 154 g / 462 m / 506 yds of Saltholme and 131 g / 393 m / 430 yds of Turquoise.
The alternating greys DK medium sample was knit in KDD Ooskit; DK; 100% wool; 220 m/ 240 yds per 100 g. The sample shown used 105 g / 231 m / 253 yds of Horkel (dark grey) and 109 g / 240 m / 263 yds of Riach.
The single-colour worsted large shawl sample was knit in Malabrigo Rios: 100% wool; 192 m / 210 yds per 100 g. The sample shown used 400 g / 768 m / 840 yds in colourway Camaleon.

Tools
The shawl is worked flat, but circular needles may be needed due to the row length, particularly for the larger size. Needles suggested sizes to obtain gauge:
4ply/fingering: 3.25 mm US size 3.
DK: 4.5 mm US size 7.
Worsted/Aran: 5 mm US size 8.
Waste yarn, approx. 5 m / 6 yds, for provisional cast on.
Stitch markers, as many as you find helpful, at least 2 for the top edge.
Tapestry needle for weaving in ends.
Blocking mat, wires and pins (optional but recommended).

Tension
Measure the tension over the sequence pattern after washing and blocking.
4ply/fingering: 22 sts and 32 rows = 10 cm / 4” on 3.25 mm US size 3 needles.
DK: 20 sts and 30 rows = 10 cm / 4” on 4.5 mm US size 7 needles.
Worsted: 16 sts and 22 rows = 10 cm / 4” on 5 mm US size 8 needles.

Finished size
Mabon is a shawlette or a shawl, but you can make it to any size you please by increasing the number of stitches cast on in increments of 11. The shawlette ranges from 95 cm to 105 cm / 38” to 42” along the top edge, 45 cm to 50 cm / 18” to 20” deep; the shawl ranges from 132 cm to 139 cm / 52 ¾” to 55 ½” along the top edge, 63 cm to 67.5 cm / 25 ¼” to 27” deep.

This pattern uses German Short Rows; other types of short row technique, such as Wrap-and-Turn, will affect the pattern by breaking the knit columns/ridges.

This pattern contains written instructions only. It has been thoroughly professionally tech edited, but has not been test knit except by me. Full pattern support is available by email.

Mabon is also available from the Granary Knits Payhip Store.