New patterns: Aether Shawl + Aether Cowl

My final new pattern release of the year is a double shot: a laceweight shawl and a fingering-weight cowl, both featuring a geometric lace pattern inspired by sparkling stars. The shawl is a light, ethereal triangle knit from the bottom up, and the cowl is a quicker knit, worked flat and then grafted.

Aether Shawl

Aether Cowl

I took the name Aether from classical science, where it was thought to be a fifth element filling the sky above the terrestrial sphere. In later centuries, the aether was hypothesized to be the medium through which light travels. My starlight-inspired lace pattern is made up of mesh triangles on a background of garter stitch, forming a mosaic of starbursts - a more complex take on the lace from my Hextile Wrap design.

The shawl requires one 100g skein of laceweight yarn. I used a beautiful merino/silk blend from Miss Click Clack called Shark Bay Lace, which has a wonderful shimmer thanks to the silk. The interesting greenish-gold semi-solid colourway is called Fracta Aurea Olivae, which I think translates to 'broken golden olive'.

Shawl Features:

• a delicate triangular shawl featuring geometric lace and garter stitch
• worked from the bottom up
• the garter stitch border begins with picked-up stitches around the diagonal edges
• techniques include garter stitch and simple lace, picking up stitches, and a stretchy bind-off
• a one-skein project in laceweight yarn
• suitable for solid or semi-solid-dyed yarn
• easy to enlarge by adding pattern repeats
• pattern includes full written instructions as well as charts.

The cowl is also a one-skein knit, but in fingering-weight yarn. I used Skein Yarn's Top Draw Sock, a very soft merino/nylon blend, in a calm greyish lavender called Très Chic.

Cowl Features:

• a light, drapy cowl featuring geometric lace and garter stitch
• worked flat beginning with a provisional cast on and grafted to form the loop
• techniques include garter stitch and simple lace, a provisional cast on, and grafting
• a one-skein project in fingering-weight yarn
• suitable for solid or semi-solid-dyed yarn
• easy to enlarge by adding pattern repeats
• pattern includes full written instructions as well as charts.

The model for these designs is the amazingly talented Francoise Danoy of Aroha Knits, who I was lucky enough to meet in person during her recent trip to Melbourne!

You can see all the details and purchase the Aether Shawl and Aether Cowl patterns on Ravelry.