Hepatica is a light lace cowl that is knit flat from a provisional cast-on, then grafted into a circle. It would work equally well as a flat scarf, when started from a long-tail cast-on and left ungrafted, if you are looking for a simpler project.

The pattern itself is in written form, but the 12-row lace repeat is charted. This simple lace pattern uses only knit, purl, k2tog, ssk, and YOs. The edging is worked in the round from picked-up stitches.

The recommended yarn, Debbie Bliss Fine Donegal, is fingering weight with a thick-thin texture. To me, it has a rustic quality and makes me think of handspun yarn.

The size of this cowl is easily modified either by casting on more or fewer stitches (specific instructions included in the pattern), or by using lighter or heavier weight yarn and corresponding needles.

Video links that demonstrate how to work a provisional cast-on with a crochet hook and how to graft using Kitchener Stitch are included in the pattern. This is a great early lace project…my test knitters agreed that this was a “beginner level” lace project. One tester said that this was the first lace pattern she had completed - her one previous attempt had been frogged after a couple attempts, but she found this pattern and chart easy to follow and complete.

Many thanks to the testers who worked on this project - MargiBorck, LTimms, ShelbyWoo, Elin76, and queenbayman, I appreciate the time you put into helping me get this pattern just right!