A Haapsulu Lace Pelerine to Knit

Similarly constructed shawls made by several master knitters in Haapsalu, Estonia, inspired this small circular shawl or pelerine. I loved their airiness and the challenge of figuring out how they were made. This garment falls into the category of “Rebellious Lace” as it is a different shape from a traditional knitted-lace shawl or scarf from Haapsalu, and it is made in the round, offering a few technical challenges as well.

Nancy Bush continues her fascination with Estonia and their lace knitting. She travels to Estonia regularly, always finding something new to catch her attention. The author would like to thank Michelle Poulin-Alfeld for invaluable help with the “architecture” of the pelerine and her great cast-off solution, and Lisa Sewell and Sheryl Gillilan for the loan of their lovely pelerines from Haapsalu.

Editor's note: This project was featured in the Winter 2019 issue of PieceWork.

Further Resources

Bush, Nancy. Knitted Lace of Estonia: Techniques, Patterns, and Traditions. Fort Collins, Colorado: Interweave, 2010.

Materials

• Skacel HiKoo Merino Lace Light, 100% merino wool yarn, laceweight, 1,531 yard (1,400.0 m)/100 gram (3.5 oz) hank, 1 hank of #1003 Shade
  
• Needles, sizes 2 (2.75 mm) and 6 (4 mm) circ 24 inches (61 cm) or sizes needed to obtain gauge
  
• Stitch markers
  
• Coil-less pins or moveable markers
  
• Tapestry needle
  Finished size: 28 inches (71.1 cm) circumference at top and 18 inches (45.7 cm) deep
  Gauge: 26 stitches and 26 rnds = 4 inches (10.2 cm) in St st with size 2 (2.75 mm) needles, after blocking