Tea Leaf Lace Shawl Using Isager Alpaca 2

The Design

“Tea leaf lace…how very Churchmouse!”

Encouraging for new lace knitters and relaxing for seasoned lace knitters, this stitch pattern is fairly simple and the clues in the knitting quite easy to read. A simple rectangle can be styled so many ways. Wear the shawl around your shoulders or as a lavish scarf!

We chose Isager Alpaca 2 for this project for two reasons: alpaca and wool. The alpaca offers softness, drape and a bit of haze, and the wool substance and strength. In other words, perfection! And in the shawl size you won’t believe the oomph factor―a pleasure to knit and even more pleasurable to wear!

The Details

FINISHED SIZE
Scarf: Approx. 9½”/24cm across x 66″/168cm long, blocked.
Shawl: Approx. 18″/46cm across x 76″/193cm long, blocked.
Instructions given for scarf, with shawl in parentheses ( ).

YARN
Scarf (not shown): 2 skeins Isager Alpaca 2 (270 yds/247m each);
Or approx. 458 yds/420m of lace-weight or fingering- weight yarn (lace-weight will be more sheer).
Shawl: 4 skeins Isager Alpaca 2 (270 yds/247m each); shown in Color E2S.
Or approx. 1080 yds/988m of lace-weight or fingering- weight yarn (lace-weight will be more sheer).

NEEDLES & NOTIONS
US 4 (3.5mm) needles, or size to obtain gauge.

Crochet hook US G/6 (4mm) or larger for provisional cast-on.
Smooth DK-weight waste yarn for provisional cast-on.
5 (9) stitch markers; plus 1 locking marker.
Darning needle to finish.
Blocking wires and T-pins.

GAUGE
Approx. 23 sts = 4″/10cm in lace pattern, after blocking.

KNITTER’S NOTES
This piece is worked from a provisional cast-on; both halves are worked from center to lace edging. Thus both lace edgings are worked in the same direction and are identical. You’ll knit the first half, return to your original cast on, unzip the provisional cast-on onto a needle, and then work the second half–no grafting required!

Be sure to use a smooth DK-weight yarn for your provisional cast-on; smaller yarn will not give you the size of stitch you need when picking up for the second half.

Lace pattern is both charted and written out – you can follow along either way. Some new-to-lace knitters prefer to start with the written text, and then move to the chart once they can see the pattern forming. Either way – remember that the wrong side is a purl row; a built-in rest!