Lace shawl knitting pattern "Damian"

Damian was a joke between us. Damian Wittgenstein was a fictional character, to tell the truth. Your name was not Damian.

This is dedicated to you, my love. When we met, time stood still. You were my lover and my best friend, my tender companion in rough times and my rock in stormy sea. When you died in a freezing cold December night, my world fell apart. I looked down on the shards, stood in agony for a while, and then picked them up. The biggest one was missing. Since then I learned to be my own rock and am slowly putting the shards in place again.

I knitted this in your last weeks. You loved it. When you died, I could not continue and undid everything. But I knew it had to be done. I searched for the most beautiful yarn that I could find and restarted. Knitting this has been a meditation on love, and the result makes my heart sing.

This is for you, my dearest. You may be gone, but love remains and comforts me. Life is good.

"It is what it is says love." (Erich Fried)

Damian is an easy-to-knit rectangular lace stole which can be worked in any lightweight yarn. You can make it a narrower scarf or an even wider stole, just as you prefer. The pattern is written and charted.

Difficulty level: advanced beginner (easy lace stitches)

• k: knit
• p: purl
• yo: yarn over
• skp: slip 1 stitch knitwise, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over
• k2tog: knit 2 stitches together
• garter stitch: all rows: slip 1, knit to end of row

Gauge: 18 stitches/34 rows in stockinette stitch (blocked) = 10cm/4in.

50cm (20in) wide, can be worked to any length.

Yarn: June Cashmere Lace Weight (100% Cashmere, 282m/50g; 308yds/1.76oz), 3 skeins. Sample with 150cm (60in) length used 794m (878yds).

Needles: 3.5mm/US 4

Notions: yarn needle