456 Sumac Berry Shawl - Crochet Pattern for Women in Valley Yarns 2/14 Alpaca Silk Hand-Dyed

456 Sumac Berry Shawl – Crochet Pattern by Sara Delaney

The 456 Sumac Berry Shawl is a beautifully designed crochet shawl created by Sara Delaney and worked in Valley Yarns 2/14 Alpaca Silk Hand-Dyed yarn. This pattern produces an elegant, lace-weight shawl featuring an intricate combination of mesh lacework and textured bobble fan motifs, making it a stunning accessory for women seeking a handmade piece with delicate visual interest. The finished shawl is worked flat and seamlessly constructed, resulting in a clean, polished drape with no seaming required.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a lace shawl designed for women. The shawl features a mesh body accented with decorative bobble fan motifs and finished with picot edging details. The combination of open mesh and raised bobble texture gives the shawl a sophisticated, layered look that is well suited to hand-dyed yarn, where color variation can highlight each stitch pattern beautifully.

Construction and Techniques

• Worked flat: The shawl is constructed by working back and forth in rows rather than in the round, giving the crocheter full control over each section of the design.
• Seamless construction: No seaming is required at any stage, so the finished fabric flows naturally without joins or interruptions.
• Lace technique: The body of the shawl is built on a foundation of ch4 mesh — a classic lace crochet structure created by alternating chain spaces and single crochet stitches. This open mesh forms the airy, lightweight background of the shawl.
• Bobble fan motifs: Raised bobble stitches are worked into the mesh to create dimensional fan shapes. Each bobble fan measures approximately 3 inches high by 3 inches at its widest point when blocked, adding beautiful sculptural texture to the lace ground.
• Picot edging: A decorative picot finish is applied, adding a delicate, classic border detail that complements the lace aesthetic of the shawl body.
• Blocking: Blocking is an essential finishing step for this pattern. The gauge is measured after blocking — 7 ch4 spaces and 14 mesh rows equal 4 inches — so wet or steam blocking is necessary to open up the lace and achieve the intended dimensions and drape.

Stitches Used

• Chain (ch) – used extensively to form the mesh structure and picot details
• Single crochet (sc) – anchors the mesh rows and forms the foundation chain row
• Double crochet (dc) – used at row edges to complete mesh spaces and within the picot stitch
• Bobble stitch – a special stitch worked by completing five partially-worked double crochets into the same stitch, then drawing yarn through all six loops on the hook to create a raised, rounded cluster
• Picot stitch – a special stitch formed by chaining 3 and slip stitching to the side of the double crochet at the base of the chain, creating a small decorative loop
• Slip stitch (sl st) – used within the picot construction
• Yarn over (yo) – a fundamental technique used repeatedly within the bobble stitch construction
• Skip (sk) – used to create the open mesh spacing throughout the shawl body

Pattern Structure

The shawl begins with a long foundation chain of 344 chains, which is then worked into 343 single crochet stitches across the first row. From this foundation, the mesh pattern is established across 114 ch4 spaces and worked through multiple rows, with stitch markers placed at key intervals to guide the placement of bobble fan motifs. The pattern is clearly written with row-by-row instructions, abbreviations, and special stitch definitions provided, making it accessible for crocheters who are comfortable with lace techniques.

Skill Level and Suitability

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