E is for Estonian Lace

Before my wedding, I had planned to make the Lily of the Valley Shawl in wedding white from Interweave’s Lace Style book. It’s based on a popular  Estonian Lace pattern lily of the valley. The stitch requires nupps which are an Estonian version of bobbles. In the lily of the valley pattern, they  look a lot like the stalks of white bell shaped flowers that I remember dotting a patch of my parents’ house. Since I wound up with a champagne colored dress with grey beading, I abandoned this shawl which looked funny next to the dress in favor of a less design intense pattern in charcoal grey. (Unfortunately, as a result, the shawl still lingers in my UFO pile in hopes that I will eventually finish it.) 

Thanks to Kathy at Grumperina, I discovered Lace Knitting of Estonia by Nancy Bush. The book explains that nupps were used to show that the piece was handmade and to add weight since the lace was sold by weight. Since getting this book, I have renewed zeal for nupps. I have started three other lace projects, of which one is finished. 

 

Triinu Shawl With Estonian Nupps

Triinu Shawl With Estonian Nupps

 

Estonian Lace Shawl on the Needles - Brooklyn Handspun Yarn

Estonian Lace Shawl on the Needles - Brooklyn Handspun Yarn

Lace Scarf in Blue Alpaca Fingering Weight

Lace Scarf in Blue Alpaca Fingering Weight

(Note: While Evelyn Clark’s Swallowtail Shawl requires nupps as part of the lily of the valley border, I didn’t have enough yarn to make them. As a result, this shawl isn’t included in this list.)

Have you tried Estonian Lace yet? Please let me know. I strongly recommend the book!

Submitted by Knitted Yarns Editor-in-Chief

2 Responses to “E is for Estonian Lace”

  1. Beautiful lace! I’ve made the swallowtail shawl and the nupps were really hard but so worth it at the end.

  2. This lace is so beautiful! I am new to knitting and haven’t attempted lace, but I am really intrigued by it. I love lily of the valley flowers, so I’ve put the Lily of the Valley shawl in my favs.

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