Lavender and Earl Grey by Denise Bartels

Lavender and Earl Grey

Knitting
November 2024
Lace ?
US 1½ - 2.5 mm
1500 yards (1372 m)
25 inches by 90 inches, adjustable
English
This pattern is available as a free Ravelry download

Another knitter introduced me to the amazing weavings of the Kuba people, also known as the Bakuba, and the book, Textile Art of the Bakuba: Velvet Embroideries in Raffia by Sam Hilu and Irwin Hersey. (My apologies as I haven’t yet found anything that explains when to use which term.) The Kuba Kingdom is located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo between the Kasai and Sankura rivers. The weavings are similar to the knotwork of the Celts and Vikings and are stunning. I couldn’t resist adapting some of them.

This shawl is a rectangle that is knit end to end. The length is adjustable.

I used a handspun lace yarn spun from a blend of merino, rambouillet, alpaca, yak, silk, bamboo, and Angelina.

Warning - the pattern has not been test knitted by anyone other than myself so there may be errors. Please let me know if you find any and I will post a corrected version. Thanks.