Lily Dew Shawl

Lily Dew Shawl by Corrine Walcher

What is Being Made

The Lily Dew Shawl is a crescent-shaped knitted shawl designed by Corrine Walcher, featuring decorative beaded lace along the bottom edge. This downloadable knitting pattern offers instructions for two finished sizes: a small version measuring 16 inches in depth with a 50-inch wingspan, and a large version also 16 inches in depth but with a 16-inch wingspan. The shawl combines elegant lace work with beaded embellishment, making it a sophisticated accessory suitable for intermediate knitters.

Techniques and Stitches Used

The Lily Dew Shawl employs several key knitting techniques. The primary stitch pattern is stockinette stitch, which serves as the foundation for the garment's drape and structure. The shawl features lace work as a central design element, specifically a variation of the traditional Lily of the Valley lace pattern. This classic lace design is adapted and incorporated into the bottom edge of the shawl, creating an intricate and delicate appearance.

Beading is integrated into the construction using a specialized technique: rather than pre-stringing beads onto the yarn before knitting, the pattern provides instructions to add beads with a tiny crochet hook as you work. This method allows for more flexibility and precision in bead placement. The pattern specifies using a size 12/1.00mm crochet hook for the beading process. Each lace repeat incorporates 24 beads in the 6/0 size, with the small shawl containing 16 repeats and the large shawl containing 25 repeats.

Yarn and Materials

The Lily Dew Shawl pattern calls for fingering weight yarn, which falls within the 3-ply and 4-ply yarn weight categories. The designer recommends Duck Duck Wool 80/20 Merino Silk Fingering, a premium yarn blend composed of 80% Superwash Merino wool and 20% silk. This yarn is available in 600-yard skeins weighing 150 grams.

The pattern samples were knit using two colors from the Duck Duck Wool line: 320 yards of Tag (green) and 580 yards of Hero (blue), totaling approximately 900 yards for the samples shown. However, the pattern accommodates any fingering weight yarn, allowing knitters flexibility in yarn selection while maintaining the intended finished dimensions.

Needles and Gauge

Construction requires a 32-inch circular needle in size US 4 (3.5mm), or a size adjusted to obtain the specified gauge. The recommended gauge is 20 stitches and 30 rows per 4 inches when measured in wet-blocked stockinette stitch. The pattern notes that while gauge is not critical for this item, it will affect the finished size, total yardage used, and the overall drape of the completed shawl, allowing knitters some flexibility in customizing the final result.

Difficulty Level

The Lily Dew Shawl is rated as an intermediate knitting project, making it suitable for knitters with some experience. The combination of lace work, beading techniques, and shawl construction requires familiarity with fundamental knitting skills and the ability to follow complex stitch patterns.