The elegant lace shawl is worked entirely in slip stitches. With its open, lacy structure, it fits through a ring. If you are not up to such a large project, enjoy the lace pattern in a scarf.

The chart was part of the slip stitch crochet class I taught at the German Raveler meeting 2011 in Frechen. As learning the technique (and yes, it is crochet, but it is a technique on its own) took its time, we did not get to work on the pattern, but I explained how to read the chart and all the stitches needed.

The pattern features both a chart and line by line directions for the scarf and instructions for the shawl. It has step-by-step picture tutorials for front loop only and inverse back loop only slip stitches as well as for invisible decreases.

Be aware that they are not your usual crochet charts. As there are no crochet symbols for slip stitch lace, I invented them.

sizes: scarf: 25 cm x 190 cm, shawl: 45 cm x 120 cm.

skill level: experienced

skills needed: You need to know how to make a chain. Though picture tutorials for all stitches used are given, it helps to have some practice with slip stitch crochet before starting the lace project. I added some tips for beginners.

skills learned:

• two of the basic slip stitches (F and iB)
• invisible 2tog
• slip stitch lace

yarn: 110 g of sock weight yarn for the scarf, 100 g of fingering weight yarn for the shawl.

hook: 5 mm (US size H)

Special thanks to Waldmaus for proofreading and to Lee and the other lovely ladies from the Crochet Shoulder Wrappers group for testing! You rock!

The photos show the shawl version in green and yellow and the scarf in brown. The green shawl was my prototype, the yellow shawl is worked like given in the pattern.