Seiche

Seiche Lace Shawl by Justyna Lorkowska

What Is Being Made

Seiche is a knitted lace shawl designed by Justyna Lorkowska. This triangular shawl features an I-cord edging along the top and a decorative frill. The finished shawl measures approximately 260cm (102.5 inches) wide along the top I-cord edge, excluding the frill, and stands 75cm (29.5 inches) high, making it a generous accessory suitable for layering or wrapping.

Craft and Technique

This project uses knitting as the primary construction method. The shawl is worked in lace weight yarn, which creates an open, delicate fabric ideal for the airy aesthetic of lace shawls. The design incorporates an I-cord edging, a tubular knitted cord that provides a finished, professional edge along the top of the shawl. The inclusion of a frill adds textural interest and movement to the finished piece.

The pattern employs a two-color knitting technique, using a main color (MC) and a contrasting color (CC) to create visual depth and definition in the lace pattern. This color work adds sophistication to the design while remaining accessible to knitters of varying experience levels.

Stitches Used

The Seiche shawl utilizes fundamental knitting stitches and techniques appropriate for lace construction:

• Knit (k) - the basic knit stitch forming the foundation of the fabric
• Purl (p) - the reverse of the knit stitch, used for texture and pattern definition
• Knit two together (k2tog) - a right-leaning decrease that shapes the shawl and creates lace openings
• Purl two together (p2tog) - a left-leaning decrease worked on the purl side
• Slip stitch (sl) - used to move stitches without working them, often for shaping or edge finishing
• Slip, slip, knit (ssk) - a left-leaning decrease created by slipping two stitches individually as if to knit, then knitting them together through the back loops
• Knit front and back (kfb) - an increase that creates a new stitch from a single stitch
• Make one right (m1R) - a decorative increase worked by lifting the loop between stitches from the back and knitting into the front of the loop
• Pass slipped stitch over (psso) - a decrease technique where a slipped stitch is passed over a knit stitch
• Through back loop (tbl) - a modification that twists stitches for textural effect

These stitches combine to create the lace pattern characteristic of triangular shawls, with strategic decreases forming the geometric shaping and yarn overs creating the open, airy design.

Materials

The Seiche shawl is designed to be knitted with lace weight yarn, specifically Aubrey Lace by Martin's Lab. The yarn composition is 55% Bluefaced Leicester and 45% silk, offering a blend that provides both structure and drape. Each skein contains 600 meters (656 yards) per 100 grams.

The pattern requires 2 skeins of main color (MC) and 1 skein of contrasting color (CC). The shawl is shown in the colorways Stormy for the main color and Petals for the contrasting color, though knitters may substitute other colorways of the same yarn weight and yardage for personalization.

While the PDF does not specify needle size, lace weight projects typically require needles in the range of US 0-3 (1.5-3.25mm), though the specific pattern instructions would provide the exact recommendation.

Difficulty Level

This project is rated as beginner difficulty, making it an excellent introduction to lace shawl knitting. Despite the delicate appearance of lace work, the straightforward construction and use of fundamental stitches make Seiche accessible to knitters who are new to the craft or new to shawl construction. The two-color work adds visual interest without requiring complex colorwork techniques.