This shawl was inspired by a ‘fallen angel’ character in one of my favorite sci-fi novel series. (Sharon Shinn’s ‘The Samaria Series’; the second book in the series, “Jovah’s Angel”, features a character called Delilah, nicknamed Lilah.)

Lilah’s beautiful shadow-black tipped wings have always stuck in my head for some reason. When I started knitting lace shawls, and becoming obsessed with them, the idea for this design started fluttering its wings inside my head. It was when I was further inspired by the beautiful Nightfall yarn that the idea took full flight!

The shawl is made up of just two very easy lace motifs. I have gradually increased the size of the first motif, Fir Cone lace, to give the illusion of larger and larger feathers. Then the Fir Cone lace transitions to Feather lace, to add longer feathers to the bottom of the shawl. I designed the charts so that any number of each motif can be worked. Customize your wings – the sky is the limit!

SIZE
S[M, L]

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Lunar Zazzle Shawlette (S, shown in solid blue below right)
Length at center back: 22 inches
Width: 44 inches

Nightfall Shawl Shawlette (M, shown in white-to-grey below left)
Length at center back: 23 inches
Width: 44 inches

Handspun Shawl (L, shown in white-to-black shown above)
Length at center back: 35 inches
Width: 60 inches

MATERIALS
Handspun Shawl (L, shown in white-to-black)
Fiber: [MC] Louet White Merino Top [100%Merino; 22 micron; top]; color: White; 6.6 ounces, (Product # 7.500, packaged in 1/2 lb bags)
[CC] Louet Black Dyed Merino Top [100% Merino; 22 micron; top]; color: Black; 1.4 ounces, (Product # 7.490, packaged in 1/2 lb bags)

Recommended needle size:
1 US #6/4.0mm circular needle, 24 inches or longer

Finished Yarn:
Wraps per inch: 30
Yardage used: 890yds/814m and 6.1oz/173g of white, 346yds/316m and 1.8oz/51g of graduated white/black
Plies: single [Spun with slight over twisting, and then the twist was set by soaking and drying with slight tension]
Drafting method: Worsted method with a short/medium draw

Nightfall Shawlette (M, shown in white-to-grey)
FibroFibers Nightfall – Lilah Special Edition (a double skein of Glimmerino dyed in the Nightfall technique) [65% superwash merino/35% rayon from bamboo; 1000yds/914m and 8oz/226g per skein]; color: Lilah; 1 skein
(Note: The pictured shawl required approximately 690 yards.)
Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
1 US #3/3.25mm circular needle, 32 inches or longer

Handspun Shawl (L, shown in white-to-black)
Malabrigo Yarn Lace [100% Baby Merino; 470yd/430m per 1.76oz/50g skein]; 3 skeins (2 skeins in black, 1 skein in white)
Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
1 US #3/3.25mm circular needle, 32 inches or longer

	Spinning Tool: Kromski Mazurka; [double drive, 10:1 ratio] Niddy Noddy: Kromski : 48 inch

Tools
Waste yarn
Stitch markers
Blocking wires or pins
Yarn needle

GAUGE

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

This pattern is very adaptable. Any number of the main lace motifs can be worked before transitioning to the next. The final shape of the shawl will depend upon the numbers of repeats worked.

The general shape is more than a triangle – the wings flare over the shoulders. Keep this in mind when blocking the shawl. This crescent shape of the shawl allows the shawl to sit very nicely on the shoulders, and keeps it in place with no shawl pin needed.

Crochet Chain Provisional Cast On:
Using waste yarn, work a crochet chain several stitches longer than the number of stitches to be cast on. Starting 1 or 2 stitches in from end of chain and using working yarn, pick up and k 1 stitch in the back loop of each chain until the required number of stitches have been picked up. Later, the chain will be unraveled and the resulting live stitches picked up.

Abbreviations:
Sk2p: Slip 1 knitwise, k2tog, pass slipped stitch over. 2 stitches decreased.

S2kp: Slip next 2 sts together, knitwise, as if to work a k2tog. Knit next stitch, then pass both slipped stitches over stitch just knit. This forms a centered double decrease. 2 stitches decreased.

Don’t mix these two up – the abbreviations are very close, but the results are quite different!

Working from Charts:
All charts (with the exception of the Edging chart) do not show the edge stitches or the center stitch. The center stitch is knit through the back loop on all right side rows. The edge stitches are worked in garter stitch (knit every row).

When working from the charts, work the edge stitches and then work the stitches on the right of the chart until you reach the pattern repeat. Continue repeating the pattern repeat until just enough stitches are left before the center stitch marker to work the remaining chart row to the left of the pattern repeat. Then work the center stitch and repeat the process for the second half of the shawl.

The wrong side rows are not shown on the charts. All wrong side rows are purled, except for the edge stitches, which are knit.

DIRECTIONS

Next Row (RS): Knit first 2 edge stitches, work Row 1 of Set Up Chart, place marker, k1tbl (center stitch), place marker, work Row 1 of Set Up Chart, knit last 2 edge stitches. 19 sts

The markers now indicate the center stitch position. From now on, unless indicated otherwise, work the center stitch through the back loop on right side rows, and purl on wrong side rows.

The two stitches at the beginning and end of the row are the edge stitches – always work these in garter stitch. The wrong side rows are not shown on the charts. All wrong side rows are purled, except for the two edge stitches, which are knit.

Work rows 2 through 12 of Set Up Chart, working center stitch and edge stitches as established. 43 sts.

Work rows 13 through 18 of Set up chart 4[7, 7] times. 107[155, 155] sts

Work rows 1 through 14 of Chart A. 171[231, 231] sts

Work rows 15 through 22 of Chart A 1 [2, 3] times. 191[271, 291] sts

Work rows 1 through 18 of Chart B. 279[375, 399] sts.

Work rows 19 through 28 of Chart B 0[0, 1] times. 279[375, 423] sts.

Work rows 1 through 10 of Chart C. 303[399, 447] sts.

Work rows 11 through 38 of Chart C 0[0, 1] times. 303[399,519] sts.

Work Final Feather chart (36 rows). 363[459, 579] sts.

S only:
Work rows 1 through 4 of Edging Chart. 

To work the Edging chart, work the first two and final two stitches as established (in garter stitch), but disregard the center stitch and simply repeat the Edging Chart across the entire row. The center stitch will end up falling in the center of the Edging Chart repeat.

To work the Edging chart, work the first two and final two stitches as established (in garter stitch), but disregard the center stitch and simply repeat the Edging Chart across the entire row. The center stitch will end up falling in the center of the Edging Chart repeat.

All Sizes:
Bind off on right side row as follows: k2, [slip both stitches back to left needle and k2tog, k1] repeat around. Break yarn and draw through last stitch.

FINISHING
Weave in ends.

Block shawl in an appropriate manner (depending on fiber type) pin out lace edging and curve the wings into a flared shape. Allow to dry.

Heather is a stay at home and homeschooling mom of two boys (who keep her on her toes!) Since she learned to knit in 2003, fiber has taken over her life. She now teaches knitting and designs knitwear in her spare time. Other pastimes include spinning fiber, reading, camping and attempting to play the drums.

She lives in North Carolina with her husband, two boys and two cats. She also (sporadically) blogs at her website: knitsbyheather.com, and can be found on Ravelry as knit1purl2mommy.