Hoxne

Hoxne Shawl by Karie Westermann

Design Inspiration and Concept

The Hoxne Shawl draws its name and design philosophy from Hoxne, a small village in Suffolk, England with a rich prehistoric heritage. The site shows evidence of continuous flint tool production spanning thousands of years, from 320,000 years ago through the Mesolithic era. Flint is a cornerstone material of North European prehistory, and this shawl was specifically designed to evoke the aesthetic and character of ancient flint tools. The result is a knitted garment that bridges contemporary fiber arts with archaeological inspiration.

Garment Structure and Shaping

Hoxne is constructed as a semi-circular shawl with generous finished dimensions of 180 centimeters (71 inches) wide by 60 centimeters (24 inches) deep. The shawl features a distinctive architectural design that alternates between wide garter stitch sections and easy lace motifs, creating visual and textural interest throughout the piece. This interplay of solid and openwork sections is characteristic of advanced lace shawl design.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

This advanced-level pattern employs several fundamental knitting techniques essential to lace shawl construction:

• Garter Stitch: The primary structural stitch, worked by knitting every row. This creates a reversible, textured fabric with excellent drape and stability.
• Lace Motifs: Integrated throughout the design using yarn overs (yo), decreases including sk2p (slip, knit 2 together, pass slipped stitch over), and increases including M1R (make one right) and M1L (make one left). These techniques create the openwork sections that contrast with solid garter stitch areas.
• Stitch Markers: Used strategically to mark pattern repeats and shaping points, essential for tracking increases and lace pattern placement across the width of the shawl.

Materials and Gauge

The Hoxne Shawl is knitted in a soft, organic lace weight yarn, specifically Snældan 1 ply in the colorway "Seagull." This yarn is composed of 100% wool and provides 700 meters (750 yards) per 100 grams. The sample shawl required approximately 620 meters (675 yards) of yarn, making it an efficient use of lace weight fiber.

The recommended gauge is 16 stitches and 28 rows to 10 centimeters (4 inches) over blocked garter stitch. Achieving proper gauge is critical for obtaining the correct finished dimensions and drape characteristic of lace shawls.

Tools and Equipment

Construction requires 4.5 millimeter (US size 7) circular needles with an 80-centimeter (32-inch) length, allowing ample space for the growing width of the semi-circular shawl. Nine stitch markers are used throughout the pattern to maintain pattern accuracy and track increases at key points in the design.

Pattern Difficulty and Skill Level

Hoxne is rated as an advanced knitting pattern, appropriate for experienced knitters with solid understanding of lace techniques, stitch markers, and the ability to read and follow complex shaping instructions. The combination of garter stitch and lace requires attention to detail and familiarity with yarn overs, decreases, and increases.