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# Dragonfire Reversible Double-Knit Shawl
### "Fire and Blood" / "House Targaryen"

A warm, reversible stole worked in two-colour double knitting. One face proudly reads **FIRE AND BLOOD**; flip it over and the reverse reads **HOUSE TARGAYEN** in the opposite colourway. Because double knitting creates two interlocked layers at once, the fabric is fully reversible, thick and squishy — perfect for a statement wrap. Written for adventurous beginners.

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## Materials

- **Yarn:** DK weight, 2 colours
  - **Colour A (Dragon Red):** approx. 400 m (≈ 200 g)
  - **Colour B (Targaryen Black):** approx. 400 m (≈ 200 g)
  - *Letters on the front appear in B on an A background; the reverse shows A on a B background.*
- **Needles:** 4 mm (UK/metric) straight or circular needles (a long circular, 80 cm, is recommended to hold the many stitches comfortably). Use circular as a straight needle — do **not** join in the round.
- **Notions:** Tapestry needle, stitch markers (optional), scissors.

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## Tension (Gauge)

**22 double-stitches and 30 rows = 10 cm** in two-colour double-knit fabric, measured flat and unstretched.

> *Note: In double knitting one "double-stitch" comprises two loops on the needle (one for each face). When we say "100 double-stitches" you will physically have 200 loops on the needle.*

Always knit a tension swatch in double knitting before starting.

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## Finished Size

- **Width:** approx. 45.5 cm (100 double-stitches ÷ 22 × 10 = 45.5 cm)
- **Length:** approx. 150 cm (450 rows ÷ 30 × 10 = 150 cm)

A generous, drapey stole.

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## Abbreviations (UK)

- **k** – knit
- **p** – purl
- **DS** – double-stitch (one colour-pair: knit front loop + purl back loop)
- **A** – Colour A (Red)
- **B** – Colour B (Black)
- **st(s)** – stitch(es)
- **RS / WS** – right side / wrong side (in double knitting both are "right sides")
- **MB** – move both yarns (bring both strands to the front or back together before working)

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## Pattern Notes — Read First

**How double knitting works (the one technique you need):**
Each "double-stitch" (DS) is made from a pair of loops. To work one DS:
1. Bring **both** yarns to the **back**.
2. **Knit** the first loop with the colour you want on the *front* face.
3. Bring **both** yarns to the **front**.
4. **Purl** the next loop with the colour you want on the *back* face.

That single front-colour + back-colour pair = **1 DS**.

- The two faces always use **opposite** colours. Where the front face is A, the back face is B, and vice versa.
- To make a **letter pixel** appear, simply **swap** which colour you knit and which you purl for that DS. The reverse face automatically shows the opposite — that is why one side reads one phrase and the back reads the other.
- **Always carry both yarns together** when moving front/back ("MB"). This prevents holes.
- **Slipping the edges neatly:** the first and last DS of every row are your selvedge — keep tension firm.

**Cast on (double cast-on):** Hold A and B together and cast on as a single strand for 200 loops (= 100 DS). On the first row you will separate them.

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## Charts & Lettering Layout

Each capital letter is **5 stitches wide and 7 rows tall**, with **1 blank stitch** between letters. The full width is **100 DS**.

- **Letter block width:** 13 characters × 6 (5 + 1 spacer) = 78 DS used for lettering area.
- **Side margins:** (100 − 78) ÷ 2 = **11 DS plain** on each side. ✓

Because the two phrases differ in character count, **centre each word individually** within the 78-DS lettering zone, padding with background DS:

- **"FIRE AND BLOOD"** (front) — 14 characters incl. spaces.
- **"HOUSE TARGARYEN"** (back) — 15 characters incl. space.

> **Beginner-friendly approach:** Rather than fitting whole phrases across the width, this pattern stacks the words **vertically** down the length of the shawl (one word above the other repeated), so each line of text only needs to be a few letters wide at a time. Work the lettering using simple 5×7 block capitals from any standard knitting alphabet chart. Each lettered DS uses the **swap rule** above.

**Front face reads:** FIRE AND BLOOD (top to bottom)
**Back face reads automatically:** HOUSE TARGARYEN in reverse colourway.

> To keep things truly beginner-simple, you may knit the shawl entirely in plain reversible double knitting (Red front / Black back) and add the lettering only in a central panel. Full instructions below.

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## Instructions

### 1. Cast On
With **A and B held together**, cast on **200 loops = 100 DS**.

### 2. Set-Up Row (separate the strands)
Working across, treat every pair of cast-on loops as one DS:
- MB to back, **k1 with A**; MB to front, **p1 with B**.
Repeat to end. (100 DS — front face A, back face B.)

### 3. Border Rows (plain double knitting)
Work **15 rows** in plain double knitting (Red front / Black back):
- Every DS: MB back, k1 A; MB front, p1 B.

(15 rows × 100 DS — both faces solid.) ✓

### 4. Main Body with Lettering

Work the centre **70 DS** as the lettering zone, keeping **11 DS plain** at each edge (11 + 70 + 11 = 92… adjust: use **15 plain each side + 70 lettering = 100**). ✓ *(15 + 70 + 15 = 100.)*

For each row:
1. Work **15 DS plain** (k A / p B).
2. Work **70 DS** following your chosen letter chart:
   - **Background DS:** k A (front) / p B (back).
   - **Letter DS (swap):** k **B** (front) / p **A** (back). This makes a black pixel on the red front and a red pixel on the black back.
3. Work **15 DS plain**.

Work the alphabet blocks to spell, in order down the shawl:
**FIRE · AND · BLOOD**, leaving **4 plain rows** between words and **7 rows** per letter row-band.

Continue until you have completed **420 rows total** (including the 15 set-up/border rows). 

> **Length check:** 420 rows ÷ 30 rows per 10 cm = 140 cm of patterned body. With borders top and bottom (next step) the total reaches ≈150 cm. ✓

### 5. Top Border
Work **15 rows** of plain double knitting (matching Step 3).

**Total rows:** 15 (bottom border) + 405 (body) + 15 (top border)? Re-tally below.

> **Row tally (verified):**
> Bottom border 15 + Main body 420 + Top border 15 = **450 rows**.
> 450 ÷ 30 × 10 = **150 cm**. ✓

*(In Step 4 work the body for 420 rows; the "420 total" reference above includes only body rows — borders are additional.)*

### 6. Cast Off (double cast-off)
To keep the edge reversible and closed:
- Work 2 DS. Using both yarns held together, lift and pass stitches over in pairs as in a standard cast-off, treating each colour-pair as one unit.
- Continue, working 1 DS then casting off, across all 100 DS.
- Fasten off, drawing both strands through the final loop.

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## Finishing

1. **Weave in ends:** Use the tapestry needle. With double knitting, hide A-ends inside the A-coloured channels and B-ends inside the B channels so they don't show on either face.
2. **Block:** Soak in lukewarm water with a little wool wash, gently squeeze (do not wring), and pin out flat to **45.5 cm × 150 cm**. Let dry completely — blocking opens up the letters and evens the fabric.
3. **Inspect both faces:** The red side should read **FIRE AND BLOOD**; the black side should read **HOUSE TARGARYEN**. If any letter pixel shows the wrong colour, you swapped knit/purl on that DS — note for next time.

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## Beginner Tips

- **Practise first:** Knit a 20-DS × 20-row swatch with one small letter (e.g. "T") to learn the swap rule before the full shawl.
- **Both yarns to the back to knit, both to the front to purl** — say it aloud each DS until automatic.
- **Count in pairs:** When checking your stitch count, count loops and divide by 2; you should always have 200 loops (100 DS).
- **Keep yarns untangled:** Let them dangle and rotate the work the same way at each turn to avoid twisting A and B.

Enjoy your reversible House Targaryen stole — *Fire and Blood!* 🐉