This heart-shaped lace shawl is inspired by my paternal grandmother Bessie White, born Harriet Bessie Paine. Bessie lived well into her nineties and was a no frills, salt of the earth Yankee woman who grew up on a farm and was a calm, kind and generous people person. So often when I was a child I heard her describe just about everyone she knew as being a “lovely person”, so here is my opportunity to pay tribute to her loveliness as well. The lace patterns are inspired by farming themes - the two sets of yarn overs at each edge and on either side of the center column of the shawl are inspired by the Ploughed Acre lace stitch, and the geometric lace patterns in the main body of the shawl evoke square acres and smaller plots of land. Also, the larger shaped diamond pattern has been known throughout history as “Queen Bess’s Lace”, thus making it the perfect choice for a shawl in her memory. Bessie always shunned bright colors so the beautiful warm earth tones of this yarn make it a perfect choice, and the attached lace edging gives it a touch of femininity.

This shawl uses a triangular construction and can be knit to any size with any weight/gauge of yarn and needle size desired . The shawl in the photo, which is knit with two repeats each of Charts B and C and using the suggested yarn/needles measures 17” from top center of the back to the tip and has a 37” wingspan. It is also unique in that both of the lace patterns (Charts B and C) comprising the main body of the shawl can be repeated as many times as you wish, depending upon how you want your shawl to look and which lace pattern you would like to emphasize. So feel free to be flexible when knitting this shawl - Bessie wouldn’t mind!

Please email me directly on Ravelry if you have any questions about this pattern.
iHappy knitting!