The playful textures of this shawl were inspired by the magical flickering of morning light. Luce - “light” in Italian - has a subtle flair of boho thanks to the gentle lace and tassels, and is easy to incorporate into any wardrobe.

Sections of wrapped stitches, simple Japanese lace, and slipped garter are easy to remember and at the same time entertaining to knit. Smooth stockinette accentuates the change between the textures. The depth of a shawl is flexible and allows a knitter to use up all the yarn from a skein without any leftovers. The pattern highlights the beauty of silk merino yarn, making its gentle sheen one of the embellishments of Luce shawl.

The shape of the shawl is a modified crescent. To cut off the bulk that often builds up at the top of classic crescent shawls, this design starts with casting on more stitches than usual. After blocking, such a setup creates a slightly curved “neckline” at the top of the item, which complements and amplifies the crescent shape. The shawl can then be worn two ways - with the cast on or the bind off at the top.

Size

• Wingspan 92.5” / 235cm + tassels
• Depth (at widest point) 19” / 49cm

Yarn

• Sample shawl: Foxy Lady from The Farmer’s Daughter Fibers (70% superwash merino, 30% silk; 3.5oz / 100g, 428yds / 391m) in color Pretty Shield, 2 skeins
• OR 850yds / 777m of fingering weight yarn

Needles and Gauge

• US 6 / 4mm needles on a long cable or the size needed to obtain gauge of 17sts and 28 rows in 4” / 10cm in Stockinette Stitch, blocked
• For any other yarn: use needles at least two sizes up from stated on the label to keep fabric airy and light

Construction

• The shawl is worked flat from the top down as a modified crescent
• Increases are made along the sides on every row
• The shawl is knit as a sequence of stripes in 4 stitch patterns
• The depth of the shawl can be increased/decreased depending on the knitter’s wish and available yardage. The pattern gives a possibility to stop whenever all of the yarn is used up.
• Tassels can be added for an extra touch of boho and to make corners look more polished.