5/1/14 - please note errata - cast-on for shawl in the photo should say 87 stitches, not 81 - revised pdf is available

The sixth pattern in my Family of Women series, this shawl is inspired by my stepdaughter, Melody Angel, who is also the mother of Zara who inspired the Little Zara hat pattern. The winged lace patterns I chose for this design (Angel Wings for the center panels and Gull Wings for the side panels) are inspired not only by her middle name, but also by the spectacular wings that she has tattooed on her back! The two halves of the shawl are bound together so that the wings form a circular embrace in the center, thus evoking Melody’s love for her children, family, friends and her home and chosen community in Vermont.

Since I wanted to have the angel wings pointing upward on both sides of the shawl, the shawl is knit as two identical halves which are attached with a 3 needle bind off with a larger needle to create a decorative center seam. The bind off creates a mirror image of each lace pattern along its seam, so that the angel wings in the center actually join to form a circle ( which you can see in the top photo of the back of the shawl and from the close-up photos of the bind-off seam.) Then stitches are picked up on either end of the shawl and a narrow decorative edging is attached.

This pattern is designed to be knit with any weight/gauge of yarn and any size needles to whatever measurements you desire.. The shawl in the photo is knit with lace weight yarn with a cast on of 87 stitches, which allows for the shaded area of the main chart to be knit twice as you work your way across the rows. Also, five complete repeats of the main chart are knit for each half of this shawl, which comes out to measure approximately 46” long and 12 “wide and uses approximately 438 yards of lace weight yarn . If you wish to make a wider shawl, cast on an additional 22 stitches for each repeat of the shaded area you would like to add, and of course you can make the shawl longer or shorter depending upon how many repeats of the chart you decide to knit.

This pattern is written for the intermediate or advanced knitter who has experience working most of the stitches in this shawl, particularly yarn overs, and is also comfortable using charts and blocking finished pieces. It is also helpful if you have some experience with the three needle bind off, although this is actually a simple finishing technique to learn. The angel wings lace pattern incorporates an interesting stitch that involves knitting 9 stitches into 7, thus creating the base from which the wings extend. There is no need to be intimidated by this stitch, because it is actually quite easy to execute! The seven stitches that you will be knitting into are created with double yarn overs. so that when you slip them onto the opposite needle to knit the 9 stitches into them, the stitches are very wide and it is very easy to get your needle through all 7 of them at once.. Then it is important to keep your yarn tension loose as you alternate knitting front and back to create the 9 stitches.

I hope you enjoy this shawl pattern, and if you have any questions please contact me directly on Ravelry. Happy knitting!