Handspun Delight

Handspun Delight Shawl by Susanne Visch

What Is Being Made

Handspun Delight is a downloadable knitting pattern for a triangular shawl designed specifically to showcase handspun yarn. Created by independent designer Susanne Visch, this shawl pattern celebrates the unique characteristics of hand-spun fibers, particularly the thick-and-thin variations that naturally occur in handspun yarns produced by new spinners. The pattern is ideal for crafters looking to feature their own spun yarns or to use hand-dyed and variegated yarns in a design that highlights their natural beauty and color variations.

Design Features and Sizing

The Handspun Delight pattern provides instructions for three different shawl sizes, allowing knitters to choose the finished dimensions that best suit their needs. Each size variation features a different number of Old Shale lace fans, creating visual interest and movement throughout the shawl. All three versions offer the flexibility to extend the lace edging, giving knitters creative control over the final dimensions of their finished piece.

• Size S: Features 5 Old Shale lace fans
• Size M: Features 7 Old Shale lace fans
• Size L: Features 9 Old Shale lace fans

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

This intermediate-level knitting pattern employs the Old Shale lace stitch as its primary design element. Old Shale is a classic lace pattern that creates a distinctive wave or shell-like texture, making it an excellent choice for showcasing the color variations and texture of handspun yarn. The lace fans are arranged to form the shawl's structure, and the pattern includes the option to extend the lace edging for customization.

The pattern provides both charts and full written instructions, accommodating different learning preferences and allowing knitters to follow either visual or text-based guidance. This dual-instruction format makes the pattern accessible to intermediate knitters who may be more comfortable with one method over the other.

Yarn and Materials

Handspun Delight is designed with versatility in mind and works well with a wide variety of yarn weights and fiber types. The pattern is specifically engineered to complement the natural characteristics of handspun yarns, including the thick-and-thin variations typical of beginner spinner output. Beyond handspun fibers, the design also works beautifully with hand-dyed yarns, variegated yarns, and combinations of yarn odds and ends, making it an excellent pattern for stash busting—using up leftover yarn from previous projects.

The pattern includes guidelines for yarn quantities based on different bulky weight yarn requirements across the three sizes, ensuring knitters can accurately calculate yardage needs for their chosen yarn.

Pattern Details

This downloadable PDF pattern from La Visch Designs by Susanne Visch offers a complete knitting project for intermediate-level crafters. The combination of classic Old Shale lace technique, flexible sizing options, and adaptability to various yarn types makes Handspun Delight an excellent choice for knitters seeking to create a showcase piece for handspun or specialty yarns.