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| Photo above © Mardunk |
June Bunnies Shawl by Inese Andzane is a soft, customizable triangular lace shawl designed to be simple enough for knitters taking their first steps into lace.
The design alternates relaxing sections of simple knitting with decorative lace insertions, creating an elegant shawl without making every row demanding.
It is also wonderfully flexible: the designer encourages knitters to add as many or as few lace repeats as they like, making it possible to adapt the shawl to different yarns and finished sizes.
Best of all, the original June Bunnies Shawl pattern is still officially available for free.
✓ Free Pattern Availability
June Bunnies Shawl remains available as a free Ravelry download. The designer's original Silver Lining Knits blog post is also still online and identifies the shawl as a free pattern.
June Bunnies Shawl at a Glance
Pattern: June Bunnies Shawl
Designer: Inese Andzane
Published: July 2012
Original Source: Silver Lining Knits
Category: Shawl / Wrap
Shape: Triangle
Construction: Top-down, one piece
Suggested Yarn Weight: Fingering
Published Yardage Range: 400–600 yd / 366–549 m
Size: Customizable
Instructions: Charted and written
Difficulty: Suitable for adventurous lace beginners
Availability: Free Ravelry download
About the June Bunnies Shawl
June Bunnies began with the yarn.
Designer Inese Andzane explains that she had received an exceptionally soft angora, merino and nylon blend and wanted to cast on something immediately.
Because she wanted a project simple enough to knit while watching a movie, she chose a straightforward lace idea and developed it into this triangular shawl.
That relaxed origin is still reflected in the finished design.
Why Is It Called June Bunnies?
The playful name is connected to the yarn used for one of the original shawls.
The soft angora blend reminded the designer of the softness associated with bunnies, giving the project its memorable name.
A Customizable Triangle Shawl
One of the most useful features of June Bunnies is that the finished size is not rigidly fixed.
The designer describes it as a pattern that can be adjusted for different yarn weights and different shawl sizes.
You can add more lace repeats for a larger shawl or use fewer repeats for a smaller accessory.
How Much Yarn Do You Need?
The Ravelry record gives a general range of:
400–600 yards / 366–549 meters
For a full-size shawl in fingering-weight yarn, the designer suggests approximately:
400–500 yards
A finer yarn or a larger shawl may require more.
Fingering Weight Is a Natural Starting Point
Fingering weight is the primary yarn weight associated with the pattern, but the design was intentionally created to be adaptable.
That makes June Bunnies particularly appealing when you have a special skein and want a shawl pattern that does not force you into one exact finished size.
The Original Yarn Inspiration
One of the original versions used a fingering-weight blend of:
- 40% Angora
- 40% Merino
- 20% Nylon
This combination produces a soft fabric with a gentle halo.
Another version was made with a much finer merino, silk and cashmere blend, demonstrating how differently the same design can look when the fiber and yarn thickness change.
There Is No Need to Copy the Original Yarn Exactly
June Bunnies was designed with flexibility in mind.
When substituting yarn, think about the finished fabric you want rather than searching only for an exact discontinued or difficult-to-find yarn.
Consider:
- Yarn weight
- Total yardage
- Drape
- Fiber content
- Halo
- Stitch definition
- How the yarn behaves after blocking
What Needle Size Should You Use?
June Bunnies is designed to work with different yarn weights, so there is no single needle size that makes sense for every version.
Choose a needle that produces an open, attractive fabric with your selected yarn.
A small swatch is useful if you are unsure whether your yarn and needle combination gives the lace enough room to open after blocking.
Top-Down Construction
June Bunnies is a top-down triangular shawl.
The project begins with relatively few stitches and grows outward as you work.
This construction is especially convenient for a customizable shawl because you can watch the triangle develop and decide how large you want the finished piece to become.
Simple Sections Between the Lace
One of the reasons June Bunnies feels approachable is that the entire shawl is not densely covered in complicated lace.
Decorative lace insertions are separated by simpler sections, giving the knitter periods of more relaxed knitting between the patterned areas.
This creates visual rhythm in the finished shawl and makes the project easier to manage.
A Good First Lace Shawl
The designer specifically describes June Bunnies as well suited to lace beginners.
Experienced lace knitters may also enjoy it as a relaxing project that does not demand constant concentration.
If you already know the basic knit and purl stitches and are ready to practice yarn overs and decreases, this can be an appealing introduction to triangular lace-shawl construction.
Skills You May Practice
- Top-down shawl construction
- Yarn overs
- Lace decreases
- Reading a lace chart
- Following written lace directions
- Maintaining a center line
- Repeating lace motifs
- Stretchy binding off
- Blocking lace
Charted and Written Instructions
June Bunnies is particularly useful for knitters who are still learning how they prefer to follow lace.
The pattern provides both charted and written information, so you can work with the format that feels most comfortable.
Learning to compare the chart with the written instructions can also be a useful way to build chart-reading confidence.
Use a Lifeline While Learning Lace
A lifeline can save a great deal of frustration.
After completing a section you know is correct, thread a smooth contrasting yarn through the live stitches.
If you later make a mistake that requires unraveling several rows, the lifeline gives you a safe place to stop.
Count Your Stitches Regularly
Lace patterns rely on increases and decreases occurring in the correct places.
A forgotten yarn over can affect not only one row but the alignment of the following motif.
Periodic stitch counting helps you catch mistakes while they are still easy to repair.
Blocking Reveals the Lace
Do not judge the finished appearance while the shawl is still bunched together on the needles.
Appropriate blocking opens the lace, evens the stitches and allows the triangular shape to settle.
Always choose a blocking method suitable for the fiber content of your yarn.
Try a Slightly Variegated Yarn
The designer specifically suggests that June Bunnies could look lovely in a slightly variegated yarn.
Because the lace is separated by calmer sections, gentle color variation can add interest without necessarily overwhelming the stitch pattern.
For strongly variegated yarn, however, a swatch is useful to see whether the color changes compete with the lace.
Make It Smaller or Larger
One of June Bunnies' Best Features
The designer intentionally allows you to add as many or as few lace repeats as you like. This means the pattern can become a smaller shawlette or a more generous full-size shawl depending on your yarn supply and preference.
Keep Enough Yarn for the Finish
Customizable shawls create one important planning challenge: it is easy to keep knitting until very little yarn remains.
Remember that you still need enough yarn for the final lace section and bind-off.
If your yarn supply is limited, weighing the remaining yarn between sections can help you make a more informed decision about adding another repeat.
Is June Bunnies Shawl Still Free?
Yes.
June Bunnies Shawl by Inese Andzane remains officially available as a free Ravelry download.
The designer's original Silver Lining Knits blog post is also still online and continues to identify the pattern as free.
Amazing Knitting does not reproduce the designer's complete copyrighted chart or row-by-row instructions. Use the authorized pattern source below for the full directions.
Get the Free June Bunnies Shawl Pattern
The easiest current route is the official Ravelry pattern record:
Get the Free June Bunnies Shawl Pattern →
Visit the Designer's Original Post
You can also visit Inese Andzane's original Silver Lining Knits post introducing the shawl:
Visit the Original June Bunnies Shawl Post →
More Free Lace Shawls
If you enjoy June Bunnies, these verified free patterns in the Amazing Knitting archive are natural next projects:
- Begonia Swirl - Free Lace Shawl Pattern
- Birds Nest Shawl - Free Knitting Pattern
- Seascape Stole - Free Knitting Pattern
- Morning Surf Scarf - Free Knitting Pattern
Explore More Free Shawl Patterns
- Free Lace Shawl Knitting Patterns
- Triangle Shawl Knitting Patterns
- Beginner Lace Knitting Projects
- Free Shawl Knitting Patterns
Before You Cast On
Decide how large you want your June Bunnies Shawl to become and check how much yarn you have available.
The pattern's flexibility means you do not have to reproduce one exact sample size.
Choose a yarn and needle combination that creates a fabric you enjoy, keep track of your lace repeats, and leave enough yarn for the final section and bind-off.
For a first triangular lace shawl, June Bunnies offers a particularly appealing balance: enough lace to learn something new, but enough simple knitting to keep the project relaxing.
Pattern credit: June Bunnies Shawl was designed by Inese Andzane and published through Silver Lining Knits in July 2012. Amazing Knitting provides an independent project guide and does not reproduce the designer's complete copyrighted chart or knitting instructions. Please retain the existing photograph and its original credit from the old Amazing Knitting post.