– Friday Faves –

This month’s theme is LACE. It’s almost a bad word in the fiber world. It’s the monster under your yarny bed. But oh is it dreamy to look at!

I’ve gathered 6 crochet and 6 knit patterns that feature some type of lacework. I challenge you to expand your thinking of what lace means in a piece, and to stretch your skills by trying some of these patterns out. I’ve chosen patterns that use different yarn weights, from lace weight to super bulky, and are appropriate for different skill levels so there is something for everyone.

As we head into warmer months, these patterns provide the breathability you need to still enjoy your wool makes, rather than tucking them away to wait until fall.

All photos are the property of the original pattern designer. This post may contain affiliate links that support Blackbird Mountain Designs content. All opinions are my own.

Crochet

1. Quick Gift Cowl by Fiber Flux / Jennifer Dickerson

This pattern uses a super bulky yarn which means a) it’s fast and b) it’s perfect for gifting or for your fall/winter markets. The cowl uses the crochet V-stitch, which you may not think of as being considered lacework, but I do! It’s a holey fabric, so I call that lace. If you are scared away by the term lacework, this is a great pattern to help ease you into it.

2. Fantasia Shawl by Clare M

The Fantasia Shawl is a worsted weight, rectangular shawl with no increases or decreases. The thicker weight yarn and lack of difficult shaping make this a fast-moving project. Clare used Cascade 220 superwash in her shawl, which is an affordable wool yarn, but in her blog post (linked on the Ravelry page) she includes some yarn substitution suggestions, including some acrylic options if you don’t want to use wool. Since it’s a large rectangle shawl, your starting chain is going to be well over 200 stitches. Before you panic, use this trick – grab some locking stitch markers; choose a number you like to count and doesn’t feel likely to be interrupted (I like to use 25); chain 25 stitches, count them to confirm it’s 25, and then place a locking stitch marker in the 25th chain; repeat this process for every 25 stitches until you get to the correct total number of chains. Using this method, you’ll never have to count more than 25 stitches, and you know each stitch marker is 25, so you can count the number of stitch markers to make sure you have the correct number of starting chains. The basic stitches of the shawl are beginner friendly, but Clare has this rated as beginner+ for difficulty, because you have to work into a specific chain loop in the lace. (It makes more sense in the pattern!) Just read through the pattern before you begin and you’ll be fine!

3. Fragrant Shawl by Carmen Heffernan

This is a fingering weight shawl, and it’s worked top down so you can adjust this to the size you prefer. It’s a 2-row pattern repeat, so it’s going to be easy to memorize. Made to the pattern size, you’ll use about 2 skeins of fingering weight yarn. If you have a gradient cake, the Fragrant Shawl is an amazing way to show off the beauty of the color changes. I think this would also look really spectacular as a fade project. It’s rated as an intermediate level pattern – if it’s your very first project, jump back up to the top of this list and work your way down; if you’re a confident beginner, I think you can handle this one!

4. Justine Shawl by Marie Segares (Underground Crafter)

This is a lace weight yarn worked on a 2.75 mm hook. This is what you’ve been dreading from the moment you saw the word “lace”, isn’t it? DON’T RUN AWAY SCREAMING! Yes, the sample is worked in tiny yarn with a tiny hook, but this is a recipe style pattern, which means you can choose your own adventure – pick your yarn weight, pick your hook, work it to the size you want. I love these kinds of shawl patterns for their flexibility. If you choose a different yarn/hook from the pattern recommendation, please do a gauge swatch large enough to see what the drape of the fabric is going to be like. You want this to be flowy, not stiff. This is a very beginner friendly pattern, but if it’s your first project, try it in a larger yarn/hook combo to get the hang of it before tackling lace weight yarn.

5. Obtuse Shawl by Natalie @Detroit Knots

This is a tunisian crochet shawl, so it only sort of fits in with the crochet shawls…but I KNOW you’re an expert level tunisian crocheter after working through some of last month’s Friday Faves patterns, right? RIGHT?? 🙂 Thought so. It’s a fingering weight shawl that has a really unique construction/shaping. This isn’t for a beginner, but if you’re beginner+ or intermediate, you got this! Natalie has video support in the pattern, so you should have zero trouble working this up. There’s enough textural and structural interest in the pattern that it would be gorgeous in a solid color, or you can mix and match those random skeins of fingering weight yarn you keep picking up because they’re pretty but you don’t actually know what to do with them…wait, am I the only one who does that?

6. The Brazen Cowl by TL Yarn Crafts

I will not apologize for sharing another TLYC gem with you. I dug this one out of the wayback machine from 2016, and I wish Toni would talk about it more because I think it’s beautiful. It’s a bulky weight yarn, so fast project. Find a good gradient and this piece moves up a notch on the spectacular scale. All of Toni’s patterns are clearly written, easy to follow, and very beginner friendly. Now I’m off to see if I can fit one of her patterns into next month’s Friday Faves, too…

Knit

Before we jump into the much scarier knit lace patterns, I want you to stop and watch THIS video on lifelines in knitting. USE LIFELINES!!! Read through the patterns before starting and mark the places you want to insert a lifeline so you don’t forget – use the last “solid” row before starting a lace section to insert your lifeline.

1. Torrian Cowl by Yvonne Poon

This is a DK weight project that should use only about 1 skein of DK yarn. I love the versatility of this piece – a darker yarn makes it feel very rugged; a lighter colored yarn gives it a softer feel, and a neutral yarn makes it feel just that – neutral. If you want to add a little edge to your wardrobe, grab a bold, dark shade yarn and this pattern.

2. Rocinante by Barbara Benson

Super bulky yarn again! Barbara actually has a whole book of lace patterns using bulky weight yarn. You can check out her YouTube pattern tour video linked on Ravelry to see this pattern up close and personal before you make it. This is a poncho, but it’s constructed by making a rectangle and then sewing your short end to your long end, so you could absolutely use this as a rectangular shawl/wrap if you wanted. I love the way the lace makes the bulky yarn look just a little less bulky.

3. Faded Roses Shawl by Kelene Kinnersly

The Faded Roses Shawl is an intermediate worsted weight pattern. There’s also a matching cowl if you prefer a cowl to a shawl. Kelene includes a chart for the lacework. The lace on this is a bit more difficult, but if you use your lifelines and take it slow, I know you can handle it! Since it is a bit more intricate lacework, I would recommend using a solid or tonal yarn. A lightly variegated yarn may work – check the projects page on this pattern to see what others have used and swatch the lace pattern if possible to make sure your yarn isn’t too busy for the pattern.

4. Passionknit Shawl by Ariane Gallizzi

This DK weight shawl is adjustable in size due to the construction, and it uses 2 simple stitch patterns in sections to create visual interest – garter stitch and eyelet lace. This is going to be a pretty beginner friendly shawl. Whether you use similar shades of yarn like the sample pictured, or you go bold and opposite in your color choices, this is an eye-catching accessory.

5. Reyna by Noora Backlund

I know summer just barely started, but this dark and moody photo makes me long for October. The Reyna shawl is perfect for your variegated fingering weight yarn skeins – that’s what it was designed for! One skein should be enough to get you through this whole shawl, and the construction makes the size easily adjustable. There’s no gauge mentioned in the pattern, but be sure to still make a gauge swatch to see what the fabric will look like and adjust your needle size to get the drape you want. The project page is FULL of yarn ideas for you – have fun browsing for ideas!

6. Lucy Snowe by Elizabeth Felgate

I feel like this is epitome of what scares people about the term “lace” in knitting. AND it’s worked on lace weight yarn, but you can certainly choose a heavier weight yarn. This pattern is part of a series of shawl patterns based on characters from Charlotte Bronte’s novels. Lucy Snow is the protagonist in Villette, which was, coincidentally, the last novel published during Charlotte Bronte’s life. You can dress this shawl up or down however you choose – use a dainty lace weight yarn and beads (instructions for beading included in the pattern), or use a darker, heavier yarn for more drama. This is NOT a beginner pattern, nor is it suitable for mindless TV knitting. The lace section does not have a rest row, meaning that the lace is worked on both right and wrong sides of the piece, rather than just one side as is typically the case. But once you get through it you’re left with a dreamy piece that everyone will gush over.

And there you have it! This month’s Friday Faves. Don’t forget to email me your theme ideas for future Friday Faves.

– Friday Faves –

Crochet

Knit

Share this:

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Follow us on Instagram