Bramwell is a top-down triangular shawl featuring two traditional leaf lace patterns. I love the way that rows of staggered leaves form a stunning fabric with lots of texture when worked in heavier weight yarns. Many leaf lace patterns are composed of simple stitches and shorter pattern repeats, which make them perfect for newer lace knitters. But even as an experienced lace knitter, I really enjoy working leaf patterns. I find the rhythm of them very relaxing and I love how intuitive they are to memorize. And besides, there is just something comforting about wrapping oneself up in a big leafy hug of a shawl!

The Bramwell pattern includes both charts and full written out instructions for those of you who prefer not to use charts.

Bramwell would be an excellent project for a “first lace” shawl, as the pattern is filled with detailed explanations, helpful hints and includes lots of video links that show all the stitches and techniques required to knit the shawl.

For best results, a solid or tonal yarn made of natural fibers is recommended. While dimensions and yardage are provided for DK weight, Bramwell could effectively be worked in just about any other yarn weight, from fingering to worsted. The size is easy to customize; full instructions are provided, including how to calculate stitch counts for any size.

SIZE AND YARDAGE: My gray sample used about 690 yards (631 m) of Hazel Knits Lively DK yarn (Nickel colorway); the purple sample used 650 yards (594 m) of Kelbourne Woolens Scout yarn (Orchid Heather colorway). Both measure about 67 x 33” (170 x 84 cm). The Hazel Knits is a heavier DK than the Scout, which is probably why it used more yarn.

NEEDLE SIZE INFO: I used US 7/4.50 needles for the shawl and then switched to US 9/5.50 needles for the bind off.
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A few years back, I’d read about Bramwell, West Virginia, a small Appalachian coal town which in the late 1800s was home to more millionaires per capita than any other place in the U.S. Since I’m interested in industrial history, I decided to check it out. To get there, I followed the Coal Heritage Trail, an educational 187-mile driving trail that weaves through coal country and in many places runs between closely-spaced mountains. It was late October, during peak fall foliage. As I drove, the sheer number of vividly colored leaves that surrounded me—probably numbering in the billions—was awe-inspiring to say the least. I named this very leafy shawl Bramwell in memory of one of my favorite road trips.