Litha by Sue Beard

Litha

Knitting
June 2025
Lace ?
18 stitches and 22 rows = 4 inches
in insect pattern
US 7 - 4.5 mm
820 - 1750 yards (750 - 1600 m)
Approximate elbow length, wrist length
English
This pattern is available for £5.00 GBP
buy it now or visit pattern website

For the Solstice Weekend, Friday 20th to Sunday 22nd June 2025, this pattern will be half-price, no code needed.

Litha (pronounced “LEE-tha” or “lith-ah”) is a pagan festival and the sixth celebration in the Wheel of the Year.

Litha the shawl is a three-quarters Pi circular shawl, knit in laceweight yarn for a light and airy layer. Despite their size the samples only weigh 136 g and 182 g (less than 5 ounces and less than 7 ounces).

Two sizes are described, approximately elbow length and wrist length on an adult. In accordance with the principles of pi shawls (as the diameter doubles, so does the circumference) this shawl has bands of pattern interspersed at set intervals with rows of increases. The increasingly wide bands of patterning include plain stocking stitch/stockinette, daisy stitch, and a field of tiny winged insects formed by simple cables. The lace edging along both sides is initially knit with the centre pattern, then curved around the front and formed into a knitted-on edge along the hem. There is a small amount of grafting to join the two edges. The shawl begins with a tab cast on, the tab being the first repeat of the lace edge; it can be knit either from the charts or from written instructions provided in a separate file.

The two samples show the two sizes described:

John Arbon Appledore Lace, elbow length: 67 cm/26 ¾” centre back neck to rounded hem x 73 cm / 29 ¼” deep at centre back.
Malabrigo Lace, wrist length: 77 cm/30 ¾” centre back neck to rounded hem x 85 cm / 34” deep at centre back.

Links to video and photo tutorials for the daisy stitch, provisional cast on and grafting are given in the pattern.

This pattern has been thoroughly professionally tech edited, but has not been test knit except by me.

This pattern is also available from my Payhip Store.