Lauha Triangular Shawl in Novita Suomivilla - Downloadable PDF

Lauha Triangular Shawl in Novita Suomivilla – Knitting Pattern Summary

The Lauha Triangular Shawl is a beautifully structured, large-format triangular shawl designed by Sari Nordlund and knitted in Novita Suomivilla yarn. This is a free downloadable PDF pattern that produces an impressive finished piece measuring approximately 130 cm / 51 inches across the top edge and 68 cm / 27 inches in height at the midpoint. The generous dimensions make it a truly wearable and versatile accessory, suitable for draping over the shoulders as a statement wrap or cozy everyday shawl.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated challenging (intermediate to advanced), making it an excellent project for knitters who are comfortable with lace charted patterns, shaping techniques, and working with a live border picked up alongside the main body. It rewards patience and attention to detail with a stunning finished result.

What Is Being Made

The finished object is a triangular shawl worked from the top center down, expanding outward through a series of increases to build the classic triangular silhouette. The shawl combines a garter stitch body with an elegant lace border that is worked perpendicularly and attached as knitting progresses, giving the finished edge a refined, decorative finish. The combination of a solid textured body and an intricate lace border creates a sophisticated contrast that highlights the natural qualities of the yarn.

Techniques Used

• Top-down triangular shaping – the shawl begins at the top center spine and grows outward through regular increases on right-side rows, building up to a total of 265 stitches (structured as 3 + 129 + 1 + 129 + 3 stitches across the needle).
• Provisional cast-on – worked using a 4 mm (UK 8 / US G-6) crochet hook, this technique allows stitches to be held live for later use, a hallmark of more advanced shawl construction.
• Live border attachment – once the body is complete, 19 stitches are cast on at the end of a row to begin the perpendicular lace border, which is then worked back and forth and joined to the main shawl body one stitch at a time using a skp decrease (slip 1 knitwise, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over) on every wrong-side row.
• Chart-based lace knitting – the border follows a 16-row lace chart, repeated 15 times in total (one initial run of rows 1–16, followed by 14 further repeats), requiring careful reading of a knitting chart and consistent execution of lace stitches.
• Short-row-style turning – the border is worked by turning the work mid-row, creating a neat join between the border and the body of the shawl.

Stitches Used

• Garter stitch – all stitches knitted on every row, forming the textured, reversible body of the shawl. Garter stitch is a classic choice for shawls as it lies flat without curling and has a pleasant drape.
• Lace pattern – worked from a printed chart across the 19-stitch border section, incorporating yarn overs and decreases to create an openwork decorative edging.
• SKP (slip, knit, pass slipped stitch over) – used as the joining decrease on wrong-side rows of the border, neatly attaching the border to the shawl body stitch by stitch.

Materials Required

• Yarn: Novita Suomivilla – a DK weight yarn; approximately 300 g / 868 m required. Novita Suomivilla is a Finnish wool yarn celebrated for its natural fiber quality, warmth, and stitch definition, making it well suited to both textured and lace knitting.
• Needles: Circular needles, 80 cm / 32