March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers! The Flower Moon occurs on May 29, 2018, and marks the traditional all-clear date for farmers to plant out their tender crops. Where I live, the salmon berry plant is the first to flower, often as early as February, and though the lace pattern along the edge of the Flower Moon shawl is known as the Estonian starflower, it bears a striking resemblance to the salmonberry blossom.

The Flower Moon shawl features the textured Flowered Fields pattern for the body, and the traditional Estonian starflower pattern for the border. The pink sample was knit with Swans Island’s Natural Colors Merino Fingering. The periwinkle sample was knit with Ancient Arts Fibres’ BFL fingering in the Spanish Lavender colourway. Both are a size small.

Skill Level
Intermediate

Sizes (please refer to schematic for details)
Small - A: 80”/203 cm B: 14”/36 cm C: 88”/224 cm
Medium - A: 90”/229 cm B: 16”/41 cm C: 97”/246 cm
Large - A: 103”/262 cm B: 18”/46 cm C: 110”/279 cm

Gauge
Flowered Fields: 15 sts and 30 rows = 4 x 4” (10 x 10 cm) on 3.75 mm (US 5) knitting needles, aggressively blocked.
Estonian Starflower: 14 sts and 28 rows = 4 x 4” (10 x 10 cm) on 4 mm (US 6) knitting needles, aggressively blocked.

Yarn Requirements
Small: 425-450 yards/389-411 metres of fingering weight yarn
Medium: 550-575 yards/503-526 metres of fingering weight yarn
Large: 725-750 yards/663-686 metres of fingering weight yarn

Needles
3.75 mm (US 5) knitting needles, straight (at least 14”/36 cm long) or circular
4 mm (US 6) knitting needles, straight (at least 14”/36 cm long) or circular
4.5 mm (US 7) knitting needles, straight (at least 14”/36 cm long) or circular

Notions

• pins, wires, and a mat for blocking
• tapestry needle for weaving in the ends
• optional: 2 st markers for marking edge/increase sts