
Free knitting pattern · advanced · fingering weight
Featherweight Eyelet Shawlette
A crescent-shaped shawlette worked flat from the top down, featuring allover feather eyelet lace and finished with a decorative picot bind-off. Short rows at the center back create a gentle crescent curve.
Lace worth the lifelines
Finished / weight
Approximately 52 in wide × 12 in deep at center back (blocked)
Gauge
22 sts × 32 rows = 4 in (10 cm) in eyelet lace pattern, blocked, with US 5 (3.75 mm)
Yarn
Fingering weight; approximately 480 yards; suggested fibers: merino, merino/silk blend, or superwash BFL
Needles / hooks
US 5 (3.75 mm) 32-in circular needles (used flat)
Notions
Stitch markers (4), tapestry needle, smooth waste yarn for lifelines, blocking wires and pins
Abbreviations
Pattern Notes
Cast On and Setup
Body — Increase Section (Lace with Spine Shaping)
Short-Row Depth (Center Back Shaping)
Lower Body — Continued Increase Rows
Edging — Final Lace Border Rows
Picot Bind-Off
Finishing
Weave in all ends securely using a tapestry needle, working ends along matching color paths for invisibility. Soak the shawlette in cool water with a few drops of wool wash for 20 minutes; gently squeeze out water (do not wring). Roll in a towel to remove excess moisture. Lay flat and pin to finished measurements (52 in wide × 12 in deep at center back) using blocking wires along the top straight edge and pins along the lower picot edge, stretching firmly to open the lace. Allow to dry completely (12–24 hours) before unpinning.
Notes
LIFELINES: Thread a smooth, contrasting waste yarn through all live stitches after completing every 10th row and before beginning any new lace repeat. If you drop a stitch or miswork the sk2p, you can rip back to the lifeline safely. PICOT BIND-OFF: The cable cast-on for the picot bind-off is worked firmly — if it feels loose, try going down one needle size for the bind-off only. Budget 2–3 hours for the bind-off alone. SIZING: For a wider shawlette, add more RS increase rows before the border (each pair of rows adds approximately 0.7 in to the width). For extra depth, add additional short-row pairs in the center back shaping section, working 4 additional sts each time. GAUGE NOTE: Gauge in lace is measured after blocking — unblocked fabric will look dense and narrow. Trust the pattern and block firmly. SHORT ROWS: The wrap-and-turn (w&t) method is used here; German short rows or shadow-wrap short rows may be substituted if preferred — simply pick up the double stitch or shadow wrap in the same position as pw.
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Start tracking this pattern →AI-drafted, human-run · this version drafted Oct 3, 2026. Always swatch and verify stitch counts before casting on.