Channel winter glamour with this Faroese-inspired lace shawl pattern. Once upon a time, my teacher – a bridal couture designer/pattern cutter – told me to design from all sides. If you’re getting married, guests sitting behind you will certainly admire this beautiful shawl!
With lace mesh wings, waterfall fronts and leafy edging detail that picks up the central panel motif, Isblomst is a real treasure. If you’d prefer less of a centrepiece or just to dress down a bit, simply turn the shawl around and loop the ends around your neck for a cosy cover-up.
And if you’d also like some coordinating accessories, why not try the Nippy headband or Bitten gloves?
Faroese inspired shawl construction
Isblomst is worked from the bottom up, gradually widening to form wings. There are two central leaf panels, plus symmetrical eyelet increases within the trellis lace pattern. Each gusset is worked one side at a time, with the last stitch of the second side used as the first stitch of the leaf edging.
This leaf edging is then picked up and knitted lengthways onto the perimeter of the shawl. Short rows are used in order to create the extended edges of the shawl and turn the corners of the edging.
The final result, when viewed from the front, is a beautiful jabot-inspired V-neckline that cascades down the centre. Isblomst is definitely a Faroese-inspired lace shawl knitting pattern – but designed with a few extra details for comfort.
Special Techniques for the Isblomst lace shawl knitting pattern
- Lace increases and decreases (yarn over, ssk, sssk, k2tog, k3tog, CDD)
- German short rows
This Faroese-inspired lace shawl knitting pattern is charted, with written instructions and helpful notes to support any modifications or yarn substitutions. Use the tabs above to navigate to more detailed information. You’ll need approximately 800m of laceweight yarn for Isblomst. I recommend YarnSub for where to purchase specific yarns for Isblomst: https://yarnsub.com/.
Isblomst began with a chance encounter in Peter Jones, Sloane Square, back in 2012. A mysterious woman shared the secrets of Faroese shawl construction with me, setting my pattern-cutter brain on fire. I spent over a year figuring out how to translate that wisdom into a piece that wouldn’t slip or slide. The result is a shawl that feels less like a flimsy accessory and more like a tailored embrace.
Yarn Selection, Fibre, & Fabrication
The Isblomst Faroese-inspired shawl depends on structural integrity across the neck and shoulders to keep the waterfall fronts and lacy panelled spine sitting securely on the body without constantly slipping.
Fibre Composition & Behaviour
- Protein Fibres (Wool, Alpaca, Silk): Traditional Faroese shawls perform exceptionally well in 100% wool or wool/alpaca blends. Wool’s natural spring and elasticity keep the central spine anchored across the back while allowing the lacy mesh side panels to float gracefully over the arms.
- Cellulosic Fibres (Linen, Cotton, Bamboo): If using plant fibres, expect enhanced weight and a cool, fluid drape. Because cellulosic fibres stretch under their own weight, wet-block your swatch thoroughly to gauge how much the mesh waterfall fronts lengthen before committing to a size.
Yarn Weight & Meterage
Laceweight to Fingering weight. Pay strict attention to total meterage rather than skein weight, ensuring you have enough length to open up the lacy panels during blocking.
Yarn Construction
A 2-ply or 3-ply smooth lace yarn yields pristine openwork stitch definition across the central spine. 2-ply laceweight yarns particularly excel at opening up mesh and eyelet patterns during wet blocking.
Pattern Support
After checking out, you’ll be emailed a link to download a digital PDF file of your chosen pattern(s), plus any separate fitting guides as appropriate. These will also be PDF files. You’ll also receive further tutorials, inspiration, and general guidance via email after purchase, so please keep an eye on your inbox.
If you also choose to create an account – you can do this at checkout OR by clicking on the avatar in the top right-hand corner – your purchases will be stored in your account area for safekeeping. I also recommend downloading all files immediately and saving them to your preferred computer or device so that you have a local copy.
You then have the option of either printing out the pattern or reading it from your mobile device – whichever suits you best. And if you get stuck along the way or have any constructive feedback to share, you can email me anytime. I’m always glad to hear from my community and see their interpretations of my patterns!
New to Natalie in Stitches knitting patterns? If you’re not ready to cast on or need a little more time to decide, I’ve created a worksheet especially for getting you settled with my designs. Download it here.
