Thursday, June 17, 2010

I'm Back with Shawls

Just before vacation I started on Kjaellingesjal by Mette Rorbech. Mette researched and reproduced a shawl in the Vensyssel Museum in Denmark. Thanks to her generosity, it is written down as a pattern and translated from the Danish. The name means "old hag shawl" but I have more pleasant images of Old Denmark.





Although the patterns calls for DK weight I am using the lovely fingering weight yarn from The Woolen Rabbit, in the color Scottish Heather. I bought two skeins of this yarn several months ago and was waiting for the perfect project. I probably don't have enough yardage and hope I can order more from Kim. This colorway is so beautiful! There are bits of a muted green, lavendar, periwinkle, and loads of interesting undertones. When the bright periwinkle bits show up I am unreasonably and ridiculously thrilled. During our time at the cabin I knit the bottom lace border and picked up along the edge for the body of the shawl. My shawl will not be authentic because instead of a half-double crochet pick up, I just picked up with knit stitches. I didn't have a crochet hook with me at the cabin. But hey, people were resourceful back in 1897, weren't they? At first I did an inch or so of Bird's Eye Lace, but it didn't look right. So plain garter stitch it is! There are some bands of stockinette in the body of the shawl also and Mette says these bands help keep the shawl stay around the shoulders. Knitting this shawl makes me feel connected to a country I love so much. I am in no hurry to finish it.






I visited my friend Gresha a few weeks ago and she gave me some samples from her collection of Tazo teas. Although the color isn't as true in the photos, I thought the packages were inspiration for a knitting project. We shall see.











The Fernwood Farm Shawl started with a pattern but I deviated so quickly and so much that it bears little resemblance to the original. I have written the instructions down, which is more of a recipe than anything else. Send me an email if you are interested.
The yarn is wool/acrylic blend: Plymouth Encore (worsted weight) in the denim color.
The meadow is calling me right now. I wish I could walk through it! I'm sure there are butterflies and a cool breeze.
I intend to give Fernwood Farm Shawl away when the Holy Spirit leads me.

2 comments:

KPiep said...

I do love that reproduction pattern. It's in my queue...although I have absolutely no idea if and when I'll get to it.

Mette said...

Thanks, Paula, for taking your time to knit the old shawl. In those days 1897 when the shawl was worn the word kælling did fortunately not mean old hag, but was what you called hard working women like ..us LOL

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