Lorna Doone Crochet Shawl

Lorna Doone Crochet Shawl by Amanda Perkins

Design Overview

The Lorna Doone Crochet Shawl is a triangular wrap designed by Amanda Perkins, inspired by the character Lorna Doone from R.D. Blackmore's 1869 novel of the same name. This intermediate-level crochet project creates a dramatic, romantic garment suited for keeping warm on windswept moorland. The shawl measures approximately 88 inches along the top edge with a depth of 31 inches from the centre top to the bottom point, making it a substantial and versatile wrap.

Construction and Motif Composition

The Lorna Doone shawl is constructed using a modular motif approach, a popular technique in contemporary crochet design that allows crafters to build larger pieces from smaller, manageable units. The complete shawl comprises a total of 94 individual motifs in varying shapes:

• 68 hexagonal motifs forming the primary structure
• 16 triangular motifs providing shaping and definition
• 10 half hexagonal motifs completing edges and creating the triangular silhouette

This mixed-motif approach allows the designer to create a complex, visually interesting geometric pattern while maintaining construction simplicity through repetition of basic shapes. The modular method also enables crafters to customize sizing by adjusting the number of motifs included.

Crochet Techniques and Stitches

As an intermediate-level project, the Lorna Doone shawl employs fundamental crochet techniques suitable for crafters with basic stitch knowledge. The motif-based construction relies on standard crochet stitches worked in individual units that are subsequently joined together. Blocking is an essential finishing technique for this pattern, with the individual motifs requiring blocking to achieve precise measurements and shape definition. The pattern specifies that blocked motifs using variation 1 measure approximately 5 inches from point to point, making accurate tension and blocking critical to the final garment dimensions.

Yarn and Materials

The Lorna Doone shawl is designed to be worked in 4-ply weight yarn, specifically Drops Alpaca or Drops Baby Alpaca/Silk, requiring 400 grams of yarn total. The choice of alpaca or alpaca-silk blend provides warmth and drape appropriate for a moorland wrap, with the silk content adding subtle sheen and improved stitch definition. A 3.5mm crochet hook is required for this project, paired with a tapestry needle for weaving in loose ends during finishing.

Sizing and Tension

Achieving correct tension is emphasized as important for this pattern's success. The blocked motifs serve as the gauge reference, and maintaining consistent tension throughout the project ensures that the finished shawl meets the specified dimensions of 88 inches by 31 inches. The modular construction allows for straightforward sizing adjustments by adding or reducing motifs as desired.

Design Inspiration and Setting

The shawl draws inspiration from the dramatic romance of R.D. Blackmore's novel, set in the beautiful East Lyn valley on Exmoor. The designer, Amanda Perkins, lives and works approximately 5 miles from the book's setting and created this triangular wrap to evoke the character's need for warmth on the windswept high moor. The pattern documentation includes photographs taken near the mouth of the East Lyn river at Lynmouth, Exmoor, connecting the finished garment to its literary and geographical inspiration.