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Crescendo: a gradual increase in force, volume or intensity, primarily pertaining to music but also applying to events in nature.  The Crescendo Book by knitwear designer Ines Sousa of Seni Designs is a collection of 5 lace shawl designs, Prana, Hera, Nenúfar, Rosiris and Pétala - all seamless and worked in pretty lace stitches using different methods and shapes and suitable for intermediate to advanced knitters.  Each pattern includes both written and charted instructions.

Prana, Hera and Rosiris are worked bottom-up, while Pétala is knit top-down, all in a crescent. This soft curvature is both elegant and functional keeping the shawl safely on your shoulders. Nenúfar is triangular and starts with a few stitches on the needles being worked from the tip-up.

Prana has a beautiful lace pattern that gracefully flows into shawl’s upper body which is worked in stockinette stitch and short rows.  A fingering weight yarn such as Malabrigo Sock is ideal.  For added glimmer it’s also adorned with nupps and beads.

Hera is bicolored and has a lace edging resembling ivy leaves. Shawl’s upper body is worked with a variegated yarn, either Malabrigo Rios or Madelineotsh Tosh DK would work, in stockinette stitch and also uses short rows for its crescent shape.  A pretty lace stitch is added near the bind-off edge adding interest to this lovely shawl.

Triangular Nenufar is knit bottom-up with a lace stitch resembling water lilies. The lace is combined with a stockinette middle section creating elegant diagonal lines. The borders are worked in “true” lace. This shawl offers some design choices and can be easily customizable by changing the number of pattern repeats.

Rosiris, also created in a fingering weight yarn and Malabrigo Sock would be perfect, is knit in a flower stitch flowing from the edging to shawl’s upper body which is also worked in lace - small flowers grow from the main pattern. Wrong side rows are purled and the right side combines purls, knits, cables and eyelets, adding an interesting and rich texture to this knit that can be easily customizable by adding more pattern repeats. Its shape is created by decreases instead of the usual short-rows.

And the 5th and last design of this anthology Petala, has a stockinette section and is worked top–down with shortened rows for its crescent shape followed by a lace stitch inspired by flowers and delicate petals enhanced by a decorative crocheted bind-off for a neat finishing.  Again, Malabrigo Sock would work beautifully.