Tea Rose Shawlette

Tea Rose Shawlette by Julia Temisevä

What is Being Made

The Tea Rose Shawlette is an advanced-level knitted shawlette designed by Julia Temisevä. This delicate accessory draws inspiration from tea roses, the designer's family flower of choice for life's special occasions including graduations, birthdays, christenings, and anniversaries. The shawlette evokes the elegance of 1950s tea dances, combining romantic floral motifs with refined lace work. The design tells a visual story through its charted patterns, progressing from a rose bud through full bloom in the edging, with simpler lace sections serving as trellises between the more complex floral elements.

Techniques Used

This shawlette employs advanced lace knitting techniques characteristic of contemporary shawl design. The construction utilizes charted lace patterns that build complexity as the piece develops, requiring the knitter to work from charts and maintain pattern awareness throughout. The design incorporates multiple chart sections, including Chart B which depicts the rose formation from bud to bloom, Chart C which establishes the main pattern repeat, and additional charting for the decorative edging. Circular needles and double-pointed needles are used in the construction, indicating potential increases or the transition between different sections of the garment.

Stitches Used

The Tea Rose Shawlette features lace stitching throughout, with charted patterns that create the rose motifs and trellis-like sections. The design uses a combination of yarn overs, decreases, and knit stitches to form the openwork lace patterns. Chart C contains the primary pattern repeat and is worked at a gauge of 32 stitches and 32 rows over 4 inches, allowing the knitter to identify the pattern repeat using the red outline provided in the instructions.

Materials

This project requires 150 grams of Luxe yarn, a luxury blend composed of 25% silk and 75% wool that yields 400 yards per 100 grams. The yarn weight is 4-ply, making it suitable for delicate lace work. Needles required include 3.75mm circular needles and double-pointed needles in the same size. Additional materials include 4 stitch markers to track pattern repeats and construction sections. The combination of silk and wool provides both the drape and resilience ideal for a lace shawlette, while the 4-ply weight allows for intricate stitch definition in the charted patterns.