Aoi is a Japanese name referring to the hollyhock plant or a beautiful shade of blue-green; Mai means “dance.” Aoi Mai is a sweet piece knit from the top down with an adapted Japanese stitch pattern. Extra increases form a heart-shaped fichu or shawlette that sits comfortably on the shoulders.

The shawl in the photos was made with one skein of Araucania Itata, 70% superwash wool, 15% silk, 15% bamboo, 430 yd / 393.3 m, color 2003 (light blue).

Skills Needed: Knit, purl, increases, decreases, following a lace pattern. The lace pattern is provided in both charted and written form. Both single-page and enlarged charts are included.