Lacy Shawl in Bergere de France Unic - Downloadable PDF

Lacy Shawl in Bergere de France Unic – Knitting Pattern Summary

This free downloadable PDF knitting pattern from Bergere de France provides complete instructions for creating a stunning lacy shawl measuring an impressive 200 cm (78¾ inches) wide by 53 cm (20¾ inches) long. Designed at an intermediate difficulty level, this project is ideal for knitters who are comfortable with lace techniques, decreases, and chart reading, and who are looking to create a dramatic, elegant accessory.

What Is Being Made

The finished object is a large, triangular or crescent-shaped lacy shawl, classified under capes and ponchos. Its generous dimensions make it a truly wearable statement piece — wide enough to drape gracefully across the shoulders and long enough to provide real coverage. The open, airy lace pattern gives the shawl a delicate, lightweight appearance while the garter stitch borders provide neat, stable edges that prevent curling.

Materials Required

• Yarn: 1 ball of Bergere de France Fil Unic in Blanc/Noir (ref. 10105) — a DK weight yarn in a striking black and white colourway
• Needles: 6.5 mm knitting needles for the main fabric, and 8.0 mm knitting needles used exclusively for casting on to ensure a suitably loose and elastic cast-on edge

Stitches and Techniques Used

• Garter Stitch (Point Mousse): Worked as a 2-stitch border on each side of every row throughout the shawl. Garter stitch — knitting every row — creates a firm, non-curling selvedge that frames the lace panel cleanly and adds a textural contrast to the open work.
• Lace Pattern (Point Ajouré): The main body of the shawl is worked in a charted lace pattern. Lace knitting combines yarn overs (jetés) to create deliberate holes or eyelets with corresponding decreases to maintain the stitch count, producing an open, decorative fabric with excellent drape.
• Yarn Overs (Jeté): Used throughout the lace chart to create the characteristic open eyelets of the lace pattern.
• Double Decrease / Central Double Decrease (Surjet Double / sl 2, k1, psso): A symmetrical decrease where 2 stitches are slipped together, 1 stitch is knitted, and the slipped stitches are passed over. This is used for shaping the shawl edges, decreasing 2 stitches at a time, worked 2 stitches in from the garter stitch border.
• Single Decrease (Surjet Simple / sl 1, k1, psso): A left-leaning decrease used for single-stitch reductions at the edges, also worked 2 stitches in from the border.
• K2tog (2 mailles ensemble endroit): A right-leaning decrease paired with the single decrease on the opposite edge to maintain symmetrical shaping.
• K3tog (3 mailles ensemble endroit): A sharper double decrease used on the right-hand edge when decreasing 2 stitches, paired with the central double decrease on the left edge.
• Chart Reading: The lace pattern is presented as a knitting chart, requiring the knitter to follow symbol-based rows. The chart uses standard symbols for knit stitches, purl stitches, yarn overs, and the various decreases listed above.
• Shaping: The shawl begins with a cast-on of 323 stitches using the larger 8.0 mm needles for a loose edge, then switches to 6.5 mm needles. From the 3rd row onward, decreases are worked on every right-side row (every 2 rows) at both edges, following a precise sequence: decrease 2 stitches five times, decrease 1 stitch once, repeated 9 times in total, then decrease 2 stitches 3 more times. After the final decrease, 113 stitches remain.
• Cast-Off / Bind