During a recent trip back to North Ossetia, Eléna was inspired to translate her culture’s motifs and handicrafts into airy filet crochet.

This airy filet crochet shawl is inspired by traditional Ossetian silk headscarves, lightweight woven pieces later embroidered by hand. Featuring a geometric motif inspired by traditional Ossetian ornaments, it reinterprets an ancient textile tradition through crochet while preserving the delicacy and poetic spirit of the original shawls.

Originally designed for Simply Crochet Magazine, Issue 146.

Traditional Ossetian shawls were remarkable textile artworks. Woven with a smooth metal shuttle needle and embroidered afterwards, they were exceptionally light and often decorated with symbolic geometric and nature-inspired motifs inherited from the Alans, the ancestors of the Ossetians. Through these ornaments, women expressed wishes, memories and fragments of their cultural identity.

For this design, I adapted this heritage to filet crochet while keeping the light, elegant appearance of the original shawls.

The pattern also introduces my personal approach to filet crochet double crochet stitches, explained in detail in the instructions and demonstrated in a free video tutorial on my YouTube channel, Naturofils. This method helps create a smoother, more even filet crochet fabric, particularly suited to delicate lace designs.

Pattern includes

written instructions
crochet charts
detailed step-by-step explanations

Skill level
Intermediate to advanced intermediate.

Finished size
Approximately 132 × 60 cm.

Materials
Fyberspates Gleem Lace (55% Superwash Bluefaced Leicester Wool / 45% Silk)
1.25 mm crochet hook

The pattern is available in English and French.