Growing up in the former USSR, I knew a lot about Orenburg lace shawls. They were considered a national treasure. For many women, owning an Orenburg shawl was a symbol of high status. There was even a song, “Orenburskyj Platok,” written about the love that went into making a shawl to warm the heart and shoulders of a beloved mother.

I originally heard about Estonian lace while living in Austin, Texas, where I attempted to knit a shawl that included nupps and fleur-de-lis motifs for the first time. I fell in love with Estonian lace, drawn in by the nupp accents and their three-dimensional effect. It was only natural that I felt that combining an Orenburg shawl structure with Estonian lace elements would make a beautiful shawl.

Materials

• Hikoo Merino Lace Light, 100% merino yarn, laceweight, 1,531 yard (1,400 m)/3.5 ounces (100 g) cone, 1 skein of #1002 Bliss (yarn distributed by Skacel)
• Needles, size 1½ (2.5 mm) circ 24 inches (61 cm) or size needed to obtain gauge
• Spare needle, size 1½ (2.5 mm)
• Markers, 2, contrasting colors
• Lace Blocking Wires (stainless-steel blocking wires and T-pins)
• Tapestry needle

Finished size: 18 inches (45.7 cm) wide and 64 inches (162.6 cm) long, after blocking

Gauge: 26 sts and 35 rows = 4 inches (10.2 cm) in lace patt from center section of Body chart, after blocki