View From the Spire

View From the Spire Lace Shawl by Jem Arrowsmith

What is Being Made

View From the Spire is a beautiful lace shawl designed by Jem Arrowsmith and inspired by the glittering vista of snow and lights viewed from the top of the Hallgrimskirkja Church in Reykjavik, Iceland. This knitted shawl combines beaded lace sections with smooth stockinette stitch, creating a dynamic visual journey that evokes both the twinkling city lights and the quiet calm of untouched snow. The shawl features a distinctive deeper lace section that showcases glittering beads, with spire-like motifs emerging along the border during the final stages of construction.

Construction Method

The shawl is worked from side to side, meaning you knit horizontally across the width of the piece rather than from top to bottom. This side-to-side construction creates an interesting knitting experience as you journey back and forth through alternating sections of beaded lace and stockinette stitch. The pattern concludes with a stretchy bind-off technique that allows for a beautifully scalloped edge to form when the finished shawl is blocked.

Techniques and Stitches Used

• Knit and Purl Stitches: The foundational stitches that create both the decorative lace sections and the smooth stockinette stitch areas
• Lacework: Openwork patterns created through strategic yarn overs and decreases that form the twinkling, light-catching design elements
• Increases and Decreases: Essential shaping techniques used to create the lace motifs and construct the shawl's silhouette
• Beadwork: Decorative beads are incorporated into the knitted fabric, with a video tutorial included for adding beads using a small crochet hook. The beads are particularly prominent in the deeper lace section near the completion of the shawl
• Stretchy Bind-Off: A specialized finishing technique that ensures the edge remains elastic and allows the scalloped edging to display beautifully after blocking

Yarn and Materials

This pattern is designed for lace weight yarn, which is an extremely fine yarn that creates delicate, intricate fabric perfect for showcasing the detailed lacework and beadwork. You will need knitting needles appropriate for lace weight yarn, as well as a small crochet hook for the beadwork application technique demonstrated in the included video tutorial. Beads are required as embellishments for the lace sections.

Difficulty Level

View From the Spire is rated as an intermediate difficulty pattern. While the basic stitches involved are fundamental, the combination of lacework, beadwork, and the side-to-side construction method requires solid knitting skills and the ability to read and follow a more complex stitch pattern. The beadwork component adds an additional technique to master, though the included video tutorial provides guidance for this step.

Pattern Format

This pattern is available as a downloadable PDF, making it convenient to access and reference while knitting. The PDF format allows you to view the pattern on multiple devices or print it for reference at your knitting station.