Knit a Lacy Duster Perfect for Spring

I have never knit a full length anything, but I have to admit this Silver Spring Duster pattern from Lovely by Lee is definitely tempting.

This full length, lace covered duster is worked from the bottom up in one piece (and I think the sleeves are then worked in rounds from the armholes down). It has a drop shoulder design and straight sleeves. The upper body is worked in stockinette stitch.

The designer calls it “a long, earthy-chic style cardigan” that’s “folksy, whimsical and elegant.” I agree.

The only skills needed for the pattern are knitting flat and in the round, making yarn overs and decreases and picking up stitches. She rates it an intermediate knit.

Notes on the sales page indicate the pattern includes a chart for the lace. The pattern also includes a video tutorial and a link to a blog post that helps explain how to do the edging (which looks like a folded hem but it’s hard to tell what’s going on from the photos).

The pattern includes five sizes to fit a bust range of 28-34 inches (71-86 cm) for the smallest size and 62-68 inches (157.5-173 cm) for the largest. It’s intended to be worn with 2 to 10 inches/5 to 25 cm of positive ease (so for example the smallest size is actually 38 inches/96.5 cm so you can choose the fit you like from there.

This project looks like a lot of fun to knit and maybe not as time consuming as it seems because once you get the lace pattern down it should be smooth knitting. The pattern calls for a worsted weight cotton yarn, which is the only thing about the project that gives me pause because cotton is known to stretch, so you’ll probably want to knit it shorter than you think if you choose a cotton yarn.

You can see some other versions of the project on Ravelry, and buy a copy of the pattern from Lovely by Lee on Etsy.

[Photo: Lovely by Lee]

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I guess the trend of little scarves and bandanas isn’t going away, and there’s a good reason for that. These little projects are fast, and they’re good for beginners because of the low commitment and they make something that doesn’t necessarily look like a beginner made it.

And when you can combine a simple pattern with some super luxurious yarn, it’s a little treat that even more experienced knitters can get behind.

The Little Dot Bandana from Purl Soho (designed by Gianna Mueller) is a project like that. It’s a simple eyelet triangle, worked from the long side down to the point, so there’s a lot of decreasing happening but it’s a really easy project.

It calls for a hank of silk yarn and one that’s silk mohair, which gives the project a fuzziness and a little bit of a silky glow.

Of course you can use different yarn to get a different look. A linen yarn would be fun for a summer kerchief, or combine wool and mohair for a warm and cozy kerchief for cold mornings.

The pattern comes in two sizes, so you can stitch up a kerchief or a simple triangle shawl. The stitch multiple is 8 plus 23 stitches, so you can use that to make a triangle of any size you like, or you can use a heavier weight of yarn to make a different size if you prefer. The two strands held together as called for in the pattern makes a sport weight gauge, so you could try DK or worsted for a bigger and warmer project if you want.

This pattern is available for free from Purl Soho, or check out the pattern notes on Ravelry to find how other people made this project.

And if you need more options for kerchiefs to knit, check out this collection of kerchief knitting patterns.

[Photo: Purl Soho]

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