Knit a Lace Shawl for Cooler Weather

One thing about lace knitting is that, because it is so often done on fine yarn with tiny needles, it usually takes a long time to knit and also might not be the best thing to wear in terms of warmth when the weather gets colder.

This project takes care of both of those things by being a big shawl worked on heavier weight yarn than you might usually expect for lace, though it’s still light enough to keep some of the ethereal nature of lace while also being cozier to wear throughout the year.

Heavy Lace Dionne by Jeanette Sloan is a heavier weight version of her original Dionne Shawl.

Worked with a sport weight yarn, it’s still not super heavy, but you’ll feel the difference in the speed of the knitting and the warm factor when you wear it. Because this is a large shawl — it’s a triangle that’s 97.5cm (38.5 in) long and and 156.5 cm (61.5 in) wide — it gives lots of coverage and coziness.

And because lace projects are often worked on larger needles than you would expect for the weight of yarn, you’ll enjoy cruising through this project on size 7 US/4.5 mm knitting needles. Which actually makes this a pretty good option for a first large lace knitting project, because you don’t have to worry about tiny yarn and needles.

One fun twist on this one is that you can choose the edging that goes along the side of the shawl and is knit as you go. There are instructions for doing a slip stitch edging and a ribbed edging, and these are both shown in charts so you can see how the setup is different and how it integrates with the lace pattern. And it has tassels at the corners if you’re into that sort of thing.

You can grab a copy of this pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Jeanette Sloan]

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Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

Comments

Jeanette Sloan says
November 6, 2023 at 12:43 pm
Hi Sarah,
I just wanted to stop by and thank you for pointing people to my Heavy Lace Dionne shawl pattern on Ravelry. I love what you’ve written about it because as the designer it sums up exactly what I was hoping knitters would get out of knitting it. For me, lace knitting is much more than cobweb weight yarns and Dionne is definitely one of my favourites.
Sending you the warmest of wishes,
Jeanette

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