Southern Blue

Southern Blue Crescent Shawl by Mary-Anne Mace

What is Being Made

Southern Blue is a top-down crescent-shaped shawl designed by Mary-Anne Mace. This advanced knitting project combines decorative lace elements with textured cable work to create a sophisticated accessory inspired by the Southern Blue butterfly native to New Zealand's Canterbury region. The shawl features a distinctive blue-grey color palette that mirrors the natural butterfly it celebrates.

Design Features and Stitch Techniques

This shawl showcases a complex interplay of Estonian lace stitches and intertwining cables throughout the design. The cable and eyelet motifs are cleverly arranged to depict butterflies, while nupp flowers—traditional Estonian decorative elements—are interspersed through the twisting cable pattern. These nupp flowers evoke the image of a garden cascading over a trellis, adding visual depth and botanical interest to the piece.

The construction method is top-down, meaning knitters begin at the shawl's widest point and work downward toward the edges. The pattern incorporates extra increases along the edges, which causes them to grow dramatically and create the characteristic crescent shape. A defining feature of Southern Blue is that no row is repeated throughout the pattern, ensuring knitters remain engaged and interested as they progress through the project.

The shawl concludes with a picot bind off, a decorative finishing technique that creates a delicate, scalloped edge detail. This bind-off method adds a dramatic and elegant flourish to the bottom edge, providing a refined finishing touch to the completed accessory.

Stitches Used

• Estonian lace stitches
• Intertwining cables
• Eyelets
• Nupp flowers
• Picot bind off

Materials and Yarn Weight

Southern Blue is designed to be knit in 4-ply yarn. The original pattern calls for Zealana Kiwi Fingering, which provides more substance and body than traditional laceweight yarns while still maintaining the delicate appearance suitable for lace shawl construction. The fingering-weight option creates a shawl with slightly more presence and warmth.

For knitters seeking a more ethereal and delicate appearance, Zealana Kiwi Laceweight is available in the same beautiful blue-grey colorway, offering an alternative for those who prefer a lighter, airier drape. The choice between fingering and laceweight allows customization based on desired finished aesthetics and intended use of the shawl.

Difficulty Level

Southern Blue is classified as an advanced knitting project. The combination of Estonian lace techniques, cable work, nupp flowers, and the top-down construction with continuous increases requires solid foundational knitting skills and comfort with reading complex stitch patterns. The fact that no rows repeat means knitters must maintain focus throughout the project rather than relying on pattern repetition.

Format

Southern Blue is provided as a downloadable PDF pattern, making it immediately accessible for digital reference during knitting. This format allows knitters to view the pattern on devices or print it for convenient reference at the needles.