Lilac Feathers

Lilac Feathers Lace Shawl by Eildon Hills Designs

What is Being Made

Lilac Feathers is a downloadable knitting pattern for a beautiful lace shawl designed by Eildon Hills Designs. This versatile accessory can be worn in multiple ways: draped around the neck as a cosy daytime addition to your style, or arranged over the shoulders for a more formal and elegant evening look. The finished shawl measures approximately 170cm in wingspan and 70cm in depth, making it a substantial yet lightweight garment that showcases the beauty of hand-dyed yarns through its delicate construction.

Techniques and Construction

This advanced-level knitting project features lace work as its primary technique, with the pattern incorporating gently swaying "feathers" as the central design motif. The shawl is constructed to feel as soft and light as a feather on the shoulders, creating an elegant drape. The pattern is designed with accessibility in mind, offering both row-by-row written instructions and fully charted sections to suit different knitter preferences. The pattern is easily adaptable, allowing knitters to create a larger shawl or adjust the design when working with finer yarns than the recommended weight.

Stitches and Stitch Markers

While specific stitch names are not detailed in the pattern description, the lace construction requires careful stitch management. The pattern calls for the use of 4 larger or distinctive main stitch markers to track key pattern sections, along with 42 or more small stitch markers for managing the intricate lace increases and decreases throughout the shawl. This extensive use of stitch markers indicates a complex lace pattern with multiple stitch manipulations that require precise tracking.

Materials and Yarn Requirements

The Lilac Feathers shawl requires 600 metres of 4ply or sock weight yarn to achieve the stated dimensions. The pictured shawl in the pattern was knitted using Blue Moon Indigo Venus 4ply Deluxe, a luxury yarn blend composed of 50% baby alpaca, 25% linen, and 25% silk, with approximately 400 metres per 100 grammes. This yarn composition creates the soft, feather-like quality and elegant drape characteristic of the finished garment. Knitters should select 4ply weight yarns for the best results, though the pattern's adaptability allows for experimentation with finer yarns if desired.

Needles and Tools

This pattern requires a 3.75mm circular needle measuring 100cm in length. The longer circular needle accommodates the substantial width of the shawl as stitches accumulate during the lace construction. The circular needle format allows for comfortable working of the increasing stitch count while maintaining the shawl's elegant shape.

Pattern Format

The Lilac Feathers pattern is provided as a downloadable PDF, making it immediately accessible for digital viewing or printing. The dual-format instructions—combining row-by-row written directions with full charting—make this advanced project approachable for knitters who prefer either reading style, while the detailed stitch marker requirements and adaptability notes provide flexibility for customization.