Traditional Lace: Spanish Mantilla

Spain is home of some of the earliest examples of European knitting and especially lace knitting has a long tradition. Some historians even believe that the well-know Shetland lace was brought to the Shetland Islands by the Spanish. Spanish mantillas (chapel veils) are draped over a woman's head when attending Mass. They are usually black or white, but why not spice up the traditional design with some colour?

My Mantilla Stole was knit in Bijou Spun by Bijou Basin Ranch Seraphim, a gorgeous lacweight yarn of 95% angora fibre blended with a touch of viscose for added strength. It is available in 9 beautiful saturated colourways, my sample is made in colourway Pomegranate.

The stole is rectangular with rounded edges and features a large centre lace panel in a traditional Shetland lace stitch pattern and a knit-on border, that runs around the centre panel.

It's a light and airy piece, with just 100g of yarn used, the stole measures approxiamtely 60 cm (24") by 168 cm (66").

The pattern was published in the brandnew Interweave Knits, Holiday 2o16 magazine. It is available in print or digitally as part of the magazine and also for indiviudual download at the Interweave Store, here.