When Woolgirl asked me if I would be interested in designing a shawlette for the upcoming Fairy Tale installment of the Embrace the Lace Club, I was intrigued. We discussed the darker side of classic fairy tales, specifically the original stories collected by the Brothers Grimm. This is where the inspiration for Emerantha came from:

Midsummer night… All around you the ancient forest starts getting ready for the night, fading light sparkles through the darkening foliage and tiny movements begin to appear just outside your field of vision. You watch the deepening shadows spread through the woods when mysterious creatures start to appear all around you…

Emerantha is inspired by fairies and their ethereal wings - the wings of butterflies, dragonflies and other insects - fluttering in woodlands at twilight. The incredible colors of this Hazel Knits yarn reflect the deep dark colors of a night forest exactly, serving as an additional source of inspiration. The wing-shaped lace motifs include sparkling beads to emulate the flickering quality of the fading daylight.

This shawl is shaped as a crescent to allow for different ways of tying and wrapping. It is knitted in one piece starting at the bottom edge of the lace; its curved shape is created by a set of garter stitch short rows. Simplified wing motifs are repeated along the top edge for additional interest while the beads help enhance the drape of the finished shawl.

The Emerantha pattern is now available as Ravelry download.

This pattern was originally published as part of the Embrace the Lace Knitting Club from Woolgirl in May 2012.

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