Radiance Shawl

Radiance Shawl by Helen Stewart

What Is Being Made

The Radiance Shawl is a semicircular laceweight shawl designed by Helen Stewart. This modern and exuberant accessory features a generous ruffle with picot edging, making it a striking finished piece despite its surprisingly quick knitting time relative to its finished size.

Shawl Construction and Design

The Radiance Shawl is knit from the top down in one size, achieving a finished diameter of 142 cm (56 inches). The shawl is constructed as a series of rectangular sections that increase in size with each increase row, creating the characteristic semicircular shape. This modular approach to construction allows knitters to work through distinct pattern sections systematically.

Lace Patterns and Stitches

The shawl features panels of diagonal lace combined with garter stitch sections. The lace patterns are intentionally simple in design, making this an accessible intermediate-level project. The garter stitch sections knit up quickly, contributing to the overall efficient construction timeline. The shawl is finished with a picot edging that frames the generous ruffle, adding a refined decorative detail to the piece.

Knitting Techniques

As a top-down construction, this shawl employs the common technique of beginning with a small number of cast-on stitches and increasing systematically throughout the pattern. The combination of lace and garter stitch sections demonstrates fundamental knitting techniques suitable for intermediate-level knitters seeking to expand their lace-knitting skills.

Yarn and Materials

• Yarn: 1 x 100g ball of Pigeonroof Studios Baby Alpaca/Silk/Cashmere Laceweight (70% Alpaca, 20% Silk, 10% Cashmere), providing 823 meters (900 yards). The pictured colorway is Saffron.
• Needles: 3.75mm (US 5) circular needles, 80cm (32 inches) in length
• Notions: As specified in the pattern

Difficulty Level

This project is rated as intermediate difficulty, making it suitable for knitters with foundational skills who are ready to work with lace patterns and manage increases across a larger garment.