The Design

“Tea leaf lace...how very Churchmouse!”

Encouraging for new lace knitters and relaxing for seasoned lace knitters, this stitch pattern is fairly simple and the clues in the knitting quite easy to read. A simple rectangle can be styled so many ways. Wear the shawl around your shoulders or as a lavish scarf; wear the scarf long, Chelsea-knotted, or wrapped around for cowl coziness!

Make a light-as-air scarf in a lace-weight yarn like Rowan Kidsilk Haze, or a cozy wrap in drapey fingering-weight Isager Alpaca Merino 2...or switch up the fibers for a warm scarf and an airy wrap! Why not make one of each?

See how we've used this pattern!

The Details

FINISHED SIZE
Scarf: Approx. 9½"/24cm across x 66"/168cm long, blocked.
Shawl: Approx. 18"/46cm across x 76"/193cm long, blocked.
Instructions given for scarf, with shawl in parentheses ( ).

YARN
Scarf: Approx. 458 yds/420m of lace-weight or fingering- weight yarn (lace-weight will be more sheer). Shown in 2 skeins Rowan Kidsilk Haze (229 yds/210m each), Color 611.
Shawl: Approx. 1080 yds/988m of lace-weight or fingering- weight yarn (lace-weight will be more sheer). Shown in 4 skeins Isager Alpaca 2 (270 yds/247m each), Color 2S.

NEEDLES & NOTIONS
US 4 (3.5mm) needles, or size to obtain gauge.
Crochet hook US G/6 (4mm) or larger for provisional cast-on.
Smooth DK-weight waste yarn for provisional cast-on.
5 (9) stitch markers; plus 1 locking marker.
Darning needle to finish.
Blocking wires and T-pins.

GAUGE
Approx. 23 sts = 4"/10cm in lace pattern, after blocking.

KNITTER'S NOTES

This piece is worked from a provisional cast-on; both halves are worked from center to lace edging. Thus both lace edgings are worked in the same direction and are identical. You'll knit the first half, return to your original cast on, unzip the provisional cast-on onto a needle, and then work the second half--no grafting required!

Be sure to use a smooth DK-weight yarn for your provisional cast-on; smaller yarn will not give you the size of stitch you need when picking up for the second half.

Lace pattern is both charted and written out - you can follow along either way. Some new-to-lace knitters prefer to start with the written text, and then move to the chart once they can see the pattern forming. Either way - remember that the wrong side is a purl row; a built-in rest!