"Bethany Shawl" - Shawl Knitting Pattern For Women in Willow and Lark Plume

Bethany Shawl Knitting Pattern by Amanda Crawford – Willow and Lark

The Bethany Shawl is an elegant, long lace shawl knitting pattern designed by Amanda Crawford as part of the Willow and Lark Best of British Collection. This advanced-level pattern produces a stunning rectangular shawl measuring 35 cm (13¾ in) wide and 200 cm (78¾ in) long, making it a generous, wearable wrap suitable for a wide range of occasions. The design draws its inspiration from the intricate workings of old-fashioned beehives, translated beautifully into a delicate textile through the use of traditional lace knitting.

What Is Being Made

The finished object is a long lace shawl for women — a graceful, lightweight accessory that drapes elegantly over the shoulders. At nearly two metres in length, the Bethany Shawl is designed to be worn wrapped, draped, or tied, offering both warmth and visual drama. Its narrow, elongated silhouette makes it versatile as a scarf-style wrap or a classic shawl.

Design Inspiration

Amanda Crawford drew her inspiration from the geometric, repeating structure of old-fashioned beehives, capturing their organic symmetry in the form of the horseshoe lace stitch. This traditional stitch pattern creates graceful, arching motifs that flow along the length of the shawl, giving the finished piece a timeless, heirloom quality that is characteristic of the Willow and Lark Best of British Collection.

Techniques Used

• Lace knitting: The primary technique throughout the pattern. Lace knitting involves a series of yarn-overs paired with decreases to create deliberate, decorative holes that form the patterned motifs. It requires careful attention to stitch counts and pattern repeats, particularly when working with fine, delicate yarn.
• Worked flat: The Bethany Shawl is knitted flat — back and forth on straight needles — rather than in the round. This is a traditional construction method well suited to rectangular shawl shapes and allows both right-side and wrong-side rows to be worked in sequence.

Stitches Used

• Horseshoe lace stitch: The main pattern stitch of the shawl. The horseshoe lace is a classic, traditional lace motif characterised by paired yarn-overs and symmetrical decreases that create a repeating arch or horseshoe shape across the fabric. It is a well-loved stitch in British knitting tradition and produces a beautifully open, airy fabric.
• The pattern is worked over a defined stitch repeat, and a tension swatch is essential: 30 stitches and 32 rows to 10 cm (4 in) measured over the main pattern using 4.00 mm needles.

Materials – Yarn

The pattern is specifically designed for Willow and Lark Plume, a lace-weight yarn with a luxurious fibre composition of 70% Mohair and 30% Silk, sold in 25 g (0.9 oz) balls. The pattern calls for 6 balls to complete the shawl. Amanda Crawford and the Willow and Lark team describe it as deliciously soft, and the mohair-silk blend gives the finished shawl a characteristic halo and luminous sheen that enhances the delicacy of the lace stitches.

• Suggested colourway: Wisteria 321
• Alternative colourway: Windermere 321

It is important to note that the Bethany Shawl pattern has been specifically designed and tensioned for Willow and Lark Plume. The unique fibre content, weight, and construction of this yarn will affect the drape and appearance of the finished shawl, and substitutions should be made with care.

Materials – Needles

• One pair of 4.00 mm (UK 8 / US 6) straight knitting needles, or the size required to achieve the correct tension.

Difficulty Level

The Bethany