This elegant shawl combines lace and short rows to create a delicate, flowing stitch pattern reminiscent of dragonfly wings. The name of the design refers to the Common Hawker (Aeshna juncea), a large dragonfly found frequently in moorlands throughout Europe.

The Aeshna shawl is worked down and outwards from a garter-tab cast-on at the top centre. The garter-stitch body is interrupted by four lace inserts, which are shaped with short rows. The same Little Arrowhead Lace, an easy 4-row repeat pattern worked with right- and left-leaning decreases, yarn overs, and central decreases, runs along the bottom edge of the shawl and is finished with a matching picot bind-off.
Both charts and written instructions are provided for the lace sections.

Yarn and Notions

• The pattern uses roughly equivalent amounts of MC and CC; 100 g of each colour should be sufficient when working at the recommended gauge and with DK-weight yarn similar to Illustrious by West Yorkshire Spinners.

• A circular needle, 80 cm (32’’) long is recommended to accommodate the large number of stitches.

• If possible, use two different sets of markers: one for markers A–D (that stay in place throughout the pattern), and one for markers E–H (which are only used in the short-row sections).