Michele's Lace

Michele's Lace Shawl by Julie Blagojevich

Project Overview

Michele's Lace is an intermediate-level crochet shawl pattern designed by Julie Blagojevich. This downloadable PDF pattern creates an elegant lace shawl using delicate techniques and specialty stitches that produce an intricate, openwork fabric perfect for layering or draping.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a crocheted lace shawl featuring decorative openwork and textured elements. The finished piece showcases the interplay of lace stitches and dimensional details, making it suitable as a versatile accessory for various occasions and seasons.

Yarn and Materials

Yarn: Mountain Colors Hand-Painted Yarns Winter Lace Junior in the colorway Copper. This yarn is a luxurious blend of 50% wool and 50% silk, offering both warmth and drape. The pattern requires approximately 560–600 yards from a single 50-gram hank.

Hook: Size F (3.75mm) crochet hook is used throughout the pattern.

Notions: A darning needle for weaving in yarn ends upon completion.

Crochet Techniques and Stitches

Michele's Lace employs intermediate crochet techniques that build visual interest and texture. The pattern utilizes several foundational and specialty stitches:

• Single Crochet (Sc): A basic short stitch used in clusters and structural elements
• Half Double Crochet (Hdc): A medium-height stitch providing structure and drape
• Double Crochet (Dc): A taller stitch used in clusters and puff stitches for added dimension
• Cluster Stitch: A specialty stitch combining single crochet, chain, and double crochet in the same stitch or space, creating grouped texture
• Picot: A decorative edging technique created by chaining 3 stitches and working a single crochet into the third chain from the hook, producing small loops along edges
• 2-Double Crochet Puff Stitch: Created by working two incomplete double crochet stitches in the same stitch, then drawing yarn through all loops on the hook, producing a puffy, dimensional effect
• 3-Double Crochet Puff Stitch: A larger puff variation using three incomplete double crochet stitches in the same stitch, creating more pronounced texture and volume

Pattern Construction

The pattern incorporates chain spaces and stitch clusters as primary design elements. Clusters are worked into existing clusters to build the lace structure, creating an interconnected openwork fabric. Picots add decorative detail, while puff stitches—both 2-double crochet and 3-double crochet variations—introduce dimensional texture throughout the shawl. The combination of these techniques produces a sophisticated lace fabric with both delicate and textured areas.

Difficulty Level

Rated as intermediate, this pattern assumes familiarity with basic crochet stitches and the ability to follow pattern abbreviations and special stitch instructions. Crocheters should be comfortable working with lace-weight yarn and managing the openwork construction typical of lace shawls.