Warning! Shadow knitting is addictive. I haven’t even finished this pattern yet, and I’m already working on the next shawl. Once you get the hang of it, there’s no stopping!

For this pattern, I still need to include a second “warning.” This blanket measures about 230 x 160 cm, so it’s a huge project you’ll have on your needles. It’s definitely not for everyone, but I couldn’t resist creating such a project for myself—and then sharing it as a pattern with you. It was an enormous amount of work and took a very long time, but I can honestly say I had a blast making it, and it certainly won’t be the last blanket I create.

The Tree of Life, also called Yggdrasil, represents the entire cosmos in Norse mythology—and it looks stunning on this breathtaking blanket.

To knit this blanket, you only need to know how to knit and purl.
You should also be able to make yarn overs and knit/purl through the back loop or slip stitches accordingly.

You can either use the edge stitches I describe in the pattern or choose your own preferred edge stitch method.

The edging to stabilize the shawl is crocheted using single crochet stitches. It would be helpful if you have some basic crochet skills as well.

The pattern consists of 33 pages.
I decided not to include a chart, as it would be too cluttered and hard to read.
The stitches for each row are written out in text form.
Example: 10k, 2p, 2k, 1p,... and so on.

The finished blanket measures approximately 230 cm x 160 cm in my version.

For this blanket, I used two solid-colored gradient yarn cakes that I had wound by Anika's Wollstübchen – The Colorful World of Gradient Yarn Cakes. You can find her Facebook group under the same name—feel free to check it out. (50% cotton / 50% acrylic).

(It’s best to ask your yarn winder for a custom winding, or use yarn you like with about 2200 meters of yardage per color. Keep in mind that depending on the thickness of your yarn, the blanket will turn out either larger or smaller.)

Each color consisted of 4 strands and had 2200 meters of yardage. The two colors you choose should have a strong contrast with each other. Black, of course, works well with bright, bold colors. If you want to use white, it’s better to pair it with darker colors as a contrast so the pattern stands out clearly.

You will also need a circular knitting needle, size 4, with a cable long enough to accommodate the full 230 cm of the blanket. I used KnitPro circular needles, which allow you to attach a cable extension.