Cabled Doily Lace Shawl Free Knitting Pattern

There is something deeply satisfying about a project that combines two of the most beloved techniques in knitting — cables and lace. The Cabled Doily Lace Shawl is exactly that kind of project. It draws on the timeless elegance of traditional doily motifs and weaves them together with the architectural beauty of cable work to create a shawl that feels both vintage and utterly modern. Whether you are a seasoned knitter looking for your next heirloom piece or an adventurous intermediate knitter ready to level up your skills, this pattern is designed to walk you through every step with confidence and clarity.

This shawl is worked from the center out in a circular shape, mimicking the classic doily construction that many knitters fell in love with long before they ever picked up a cable needle. The result is a stunning, delicate fabric that drapes beautifully over the shoulders, works as a table centerpiece, or even frames a wall as a piece of textile art. The best part? This is a completely free knitting pattern, and once you understand the rhythm of the repeat, you will find yourself flying through the rounds with a kind of meditative joy that only knitting can bring.

Let’s dive in.

Materials You Will Need

Before casting on, gather everything you need so your knitting experience flows without interruption. Here is what this pattern calls for:

Yarn: Approximately 800–1,000 yards of fingering weight or lace weight yarn. A natural fiber like merino wool, silk blend, or alpaca will give you the best stitch definition for both the cable and lace elements. If you want a crispier, more structured look — ideal if you plan to block the shawl into a flat doily shape — choose a high-twist yarn with some silk content. For a softer, drapier result, a single-ply merino or BFL (Bluefaced Leicester) is lovely.

Needles: US size 2 (2.75 mm) or US size 3 (3.25 mm) circular needle, 32 inches or longer, or a set of double-pointed needles for the center rounds. Many knitters prefer to use the magic loop method throughout. Use whatever needle type feels most comfortable to you, but make sure to check your gauge before proceeding.

Cable needle or spare DPN: You will use this for crossing the cable stitches. A small, curved cable needle works best for fine yarn to keep the stitches from slipping off.

Notions: Stitch markers (at least 8, and ideally in two colors to differentiate section markers from pattern markers), a tapestry needle for weaving in ends, blocking mats, and blocking wires or rust-proof pins for finishing.

Gauge: Approximately 30 stitches and 40 rows to 4 inches in stockinette stitch on larger needles, after blocking. Gauge is less critical here than in garment knitting, but it will affect the finished size. A tighter gauge will give you a smaller, more defined shawl; a looser gauge will open up the lace beautifully and create a larger piece.

Finished Size: Approximately 54–60 inches in diameter after blocking, depending on yarn and needle choice.

Abbreviations and Special Stitches

This pattern uses standard knitting abbreviations alongside a few special techniques. Read through these carefully before you begin.

k: knit
p: purl
yo: yarn over
k2tog: knit two stitches together (right-leaning decrease)
ssk: slip, slip, knit (left-leaning decrease)
sl1: slip one stitch purlwise with yarn in back
pm: place marker
sm: slip marker
C4F: slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold in front, knit 2, then knit 2 from cable needle
C4B: slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold in back, knit 2, then knit 2 from cable needle
C6F: slip 3 stitches to cable needle and hold in front, knit 3, then knit 3 from cable needle
C6B: slip 3 stitches to cable needle and hold in back, knit 3, then knit 3 from cable needle
M1L: make one left-leaning stitch by lifting the bar between stitches from front to back and knitting through the back loop
M1R: make one right-leaning stitch by lifting the bar between stitches from back to front and knitting through the front loop
rep: repeat
RS: right side
WS: wrong side
rnd: round

Pattern Notes

This shawl is worked circularly from the center outward. You will begin with a small number of stitches and increase regularly, adding both lace motifs and cable panels as the rounds progress. The pattern is divided into sections separated by stitch markers, and each section grows with you as you work outward.

The doily construction means the early rounds will feel very tight and fiddly. This is completely normal. Use double-pointed needles or a very short circular needle (or magic loop) for the first 20 or so rounds until there are enough stitches to spread comfortably around a longer needle.

Blocking this shawl is not optional — it is transformative. Lace knitting in particular requires blocking to open up the yarn overs and allow the pattern to become visible. Without blocking, your finished piece will look lumpy and undefined. With blocking, it becomes a completely different object, almost magically so.

Charts are referenced throughout the pattern. Written instructions are provided for all rounds, but working from the charts will become much easier once you establish the pattern rhythm.

Casting On and Beginning the Center

Using your preferred cast-on method, cast on 8 stitches. Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist. Place a beginning-of-round marker.

Set-up Round: Knit all stitches. (8 sts)

Round 1: (Yo, k1) to end of round. (16 sts)

Round 2 and all even rounds through Round 10: Knit all stitches.

Round 3: (Yo, k1, yo, k1) to end of round. (32 sts)

Round 5: (Yo, k3, yo, k1) to end of round. (48 sts)

Round 7: (Yo, k5, yo, k1) to end of round. (64 sts)

Round 9: (Yo, k7, yo, k1) to end of round. (80 sts)

After Round 10, you will divide the shawl into 8 equal sections using stitch markers. Place a marker after every 10 stitches. These section markers will remain throughout the pattern and will help you track the repeating motifs.

Section One: Establishing the Lace Foundation (Rounds 11–30)

This section introduces the basic lace structure of the doily motif. The yarn overs create eyelets in a radiating pattern, and the decreases keep the stitch count growing at a controlled rate.

Round 11: (Yo, k1, yo, ssk, k5, k2tog, yo, k1, sm) to end. (80 sts — count stays steady in this round as increases and decreases balance)

Round 12: Knit all stitches, slipping markers.

Round 13: (Yo, k3, yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k1, sm) to end. (96 sts)

Round 14: Knit all stitches.

Round 15: (Yo, k1, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k1, sm) to end. (112 sts)

Continue working the lace foundation rounds as charted through Round 30. Each pair of rounds adds approximately 16 stitches to the total. By the end of Round 30 you should have approximately 176 stitches on your needles. The lace pattern will be clearly visible and you will see the radiating structure beginning to emerge from the center.

The key to success in this section is maintaining the balance between your yarn overs and your decreases. Every yarn over that does not have a matching decrease will add a stitch; every decrease that does not have a matching yarn over will subtract one. Keep a close eye on your stitch count after every even-numbered round to make sure you are tracking correctly.

Section Two: Introducing the Cable Panels (Rounds 31–60)

This is where the pattern becomes truly distinctive. At the beginning of Round 31, you will introduce cable crossings that run between the lace sections, creating a beautiful contrast of texture. The dense, sculptural twist of the cables plays against the open, airy lace to create the signature look of this shawl.

Round 31 (Cable Set-up Round): (Yo, k1, M1L, k4, M1R, k1, yo, k1, pm for cable, k4, pm for cable, k1, sm for section) to end. You are now working cables within dedicated panels separated by their own markers. (224 sts)

Round 32: Knit all stitches.

Round 33: (Work lace section as established, sm, C4F, sm, work lace as established, sm) to end.

Round 34: Knit.

Round 35: (Work lace, sm, k4, sm, work lace, sm) to end.

Round 36: Knit.

Round 37: (Work lace, sm, C4B, sm, work lace, sm) to end.

The cable panels cross on alternating rounds — C4F on one crossing round and C4B on the next. This creates a rope cable effect that spirals subtly as it travels outward, lending the shawl its dynamic visual movement.

As the shawl grows through this section, the cable panels themselves expand. By Round 45, you will add stitches to each cable panel so that the crossings grow from a 4-stitch cable to a 6-stitch cable, maintaining the visual weight relative to the growing lace sections around them.

Round 45 (Cable Expansion): (Work lace, sm, M1L, k4, M1R, pm, work lace, sm) to end. You now have 6-stitch cable panels.

From Round 46 onward, all cable crossings are worked as C6F or C6B accordingly.

Continue through Round 60, working the lace increases as established and crossing the cables every 4 rounds. By the end of Round 60, you should have approximately 352 stitches on your needles.

Section Three: The Doily Medallion Motif (Rounds 61–90)

In this section, the lace pattern shifts to a more complex doily medallion design. Each of the 8 sections now features a large central medallion motif surrounded by a frame of smaller eyelets and decreases. The cables continue to run between the medallions, grounding the design.

The medallion motif is worked over 24 stitches within each section. The surrounding stitches form the lattice framework that connects everything together.

Rounds 61–68: Work the inner medallion chart, which introduces a central cluster of yarn overs arranged in a starburst configuration. On the RS rounds, the pattern is: (yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k1) repeated across the medallion stitches, with a centered double decrease (sl2tog-k1-p2sso) at the center of the medallion every 8 rounds to shape the motif.

Rounds 69–76: The medallion fans outward. Introduce additional yarn overs on each side of the central starburst. The cables now cross on every 6th round rather than every 4th, giving them space to breathe as the surrounding lace grows more elaborate.

Rounds 77–90: Complete the medallion motif. The final rounds of this section introduce a picot-like eyelet border at the outer edge of each medallion, created by a series of double yarn overs and compensating decreases. This will become the foundation for the outer edging in the next section.

By the end of Round 90, you should have approximately 480 stitches total.

Section Four: The Outer Lace Border (Rounds 91–110)

The final section of the main shawl body is an expansive lace border that frames the entire design. This is worked over 20 rounds and incorporates a cascading leaf-and-vine lace motif inspired by vintage Shetland lace traditions.

Each leaf motif is worked over 11 stitches and is separated from its neighbors by a single knit stitch column. The vines are created by traveling yarn-over-and-decrease pairs that move diagonally across the fabric, creating the impression of curling tendrils.

Work the border rounds as charted, maintaining your section markers and continuing to increase at the established rate. The cables will taper naturally in this section as the growing stitch count reduces their visual proportion, and they are not crossed in the final 10 rounds. This creates a gentle visual softening as the eye moves toward the outer edge of the shawl.

By the end of Round 110, you will have approximately 640 stitches.

The Edging

The edging is worked as a applied lace bind-off that creates a decorative scalloped edge. Rather than binding off all stitches at once, you will work small picot sections across the live stitches as you bind off, which gives the outer edge its characteristic rippling, fan-like appearance.

Picot Bind-Off: (Cast on 3 stitches using the backward loop method, bind off 5 stitches, slip remaining stitch back to left needle) repeat to end of round.

This creates a series of small picot points around the entire circumference of the shawl. If you prefer a more dramatic edging, you can work a separate 6-row lace edging on a small number of stitches picked up around the edge, joining each row to a live shawl stitch with a ssk at the end of every RS row.

Blocking and Finishing

Once you have completed the bind-off and woven in your ends, the shawl will look like a rumpled, underwhelming ball of fabric. Do not be discouraged. This is completely normal for lace knitting.

Soak the shawl in cool water with a small amount of wool wash for at least 20 minutes. Gently squeeze out the water — never wring — and then roll the shawl in a clean towel to remove excess moisture. Lay your blocking mats on a flat surface and spread the shawl out, beginning from the center and working outward. Use blocking wires threaded through the outer edge to keep the circumference even, and pin the picot points outward at regular intervals.

Allow the shawl to dry completely, which may take 24 to 48 hours depending on your yarn and the humidity in your space. When you remove the pins and wires, you will see the transformation — the lace opens up, the cables stand in sharp relief, and the doily medallions bloom into their full geometric glory.

Tips for Success

Working a circular lace shawl with cables for the first time can feel overwhelming, but a few habits will make the process much smoother. Always knit a swatch before beginning, both to check gauge and to familiarize yourself with the cable crossing technique in a fine yarn. Use lifelines — a thin piece of contrasting smooth yarn threaded through your live stitches at the end of each major section — so that if you need to rip back, you have a safe stopping point. Read each round completely before working it, especially in the medallion section, to make sure you understand how the stitches flow together.

Keep a row counter at your side and mark off every round as you complete it. With 110 rounds and a growing stitch count, it is very easy to lose your place, and starting a round twice is a frustrating mistake that is simple to avoid.

Choose your yarn thoughtfully. The interaction between the yarn’s fiber content, spin, and sheen will dramatically affect how the finished shawl looks and feels. A high-sheen silk blend will make the cables gleam. A matte wool will make them look rustic and earthy. Both are beautiful — they simply tell different stories.

A Few Words on the Design

The idea behind this shawl was to honor two separate traditions in textile making. The doily, with its circular geometry and intricate eyelet patterns, carries a long history in handcraft — from the lacework of Victorian parlors to the crocheted centerpieces of mid-century homes. The cable, with its origins in the fishing communities