This shawl was inspired by the costuming in Ang Lee’s 1995 film version of Sense and Sensibility, and a color plate in Racinet’s Le Costume Historique (1888) that illustrates the different ways that women of the Regency era wore their shawls. Many of those pictured feature elaborately-patterned borders framing plainer central patterns. Josephine is a Shetland lace knitter’s interpretation of those designs, named for the empress who popularized the fashion. The central pattern is a field of bead motifs surrounded by garter stitch, and is easy to memorize and quick to knit. The border section at each short end is a sampler of more intricate motifs. The shawl is finished with a scalloped edging that is more practical for the knitter than a fringe as it makes the finished piece much easier to block.

The sample was knitted in the colourway Ladyslippers.

Erratum
See this page for a chart correction.