The six knitting projects in this collection are based on the enchanting medieval story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Five stunning, crescent-shaped shawls represent the five knightly virtues symbolized on Gawain’s shield, with an additional sixth project based upon the magical belt that replaces Gawain’s shield later in the story. Included along with the patterns is a summary of the text as well as a discussion of the role of Gawain’s shield and the Green Girdle in both the story itself as well as in the patterns.

Based upon Chaucer’s Parliament of Fowls, the eight cowls in this book represent various birds who are debating which suitor the female eagle should choose as her mate. Included with the patterns is a summary of the text and a discussion of the role each bird plays in the debate.

In Chaucer’s Parliament of Fowls, the birds have all gathered together in order to choose their mates for the coming year. Dame Nature presides over the gathering, which takes place in a lush garden full of spring blossoms. The flowers on this shawl symbolize Dame Nature’s power over the growth surrounding her.

This slightly slouchy beanie features a cable framed by a pair of scrolls (repeated around the hat), bringing to mind a proclamation read by a herald during a tournament.

Book available in print, which includes the Raverly PDF download.

Book available in print, which includes the Raverly PDF download.

Book available in print, which includes the Raverly PDF download.

Book available in print, which includes the Raverly PDF download.

Book available in print, which includes the Raverly PDF download.

Book available in print, which includes the Raverly PDF download.

Book available in print, which includes the Raverly PDF download.

Book available in print, which includes the Raverly PDF download.

Based upon a medieval love debate poem, the three panels of this semi-circular shawl represent the three main players in the poem. The middle panel is the narrator who is an unwilling eyewitness to the debate between the lover and the lady. Because he has recently lost his own lady through death, his thoughts are in turmoil with no place to res...

This cowl uses a leaf and flower motif to represent the maiden Blodeuwedd, who was created by two magicians from flowers so she wouldn’t be considered a “human” woman and thus could marry Lleu Llaw Gyffes. The pattern is both fully written out and charted, so you can use whichever type of directions works best for you.

This shawl uses a half-pi construction, which doubles the number of stitches after each section. The construction is well-suited to showing off gradient yarn, and the final section is adjustable based upon how much yarn you have available. Although the name Polyxena refers to a character from the story of the Trojan War, the “poly” part of the ...

This men’s hat features a diamond-shaped cable pattern with straighter lines rather than the more curved lines usually found in cables, perfect for the man who needs a little extra warmth, whether or not he is slaying a dragon. The brim can be worn down or folded up to suit the size and style desired. The pattern contains both charted and fully...

This rhomboid shawl contains a rectangular center that can be customized to your desired size with each end narrowing to a point. You can wear this as a wrap around your shoulders or as a scarf around your neck.

Worked from the top down in the round, this beret features a cable that resembles the crack in the wall used by star-crossed lovers Pyramus and Thisbe to communicate to one another. The pattern is both fully written out and charted, so you can use whichever type of directions works best for you. The Thisbe Cowl is a matching pattern.

The tall, skinny cables in this cowl resemble the crack in the wall through which the lovers Pyramus and Thisbe communicated. The length of the cowl provides warmth as well as a nice drape so it can be worn comfortably. The pattern is both fully written out and charted, so you can use whichever type of directions works best for you. The Pyramus...

Knit in the round, this cowl uses a combination of increases (including double yarn overs) and decreases to create geometric shapes. The center of the stitch pattern resembles horseshoes, connecting the pattern to Gawain’s faithful horse, Gringolet. The pattern is both fully written out and charted, so you can use whichever type of directions w...

The twisted stitches in this hat provide a subtle texture and spiral pattern. Use a semi-solid or tonal colored yarn to provide depth and dimension to the hat. The decreases at the top of the hat are worked quickly to give the top a gathered appearance.

This belt is part of the Gawain’s Shield shawl collection, based upon the medieval story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Although we think of a girdle as something else today, the girdle described in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight would have been worn as a belt. This pattern uses the i-cord technique and a simple cable stitch to create a n...

This shawl is part of the Gawain’s Shield shawl collection, based upon the medieval story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Piety involves a knight’s religious ideals, and Avalon—although often seen as a pagan place—can also represent the religious Christianity of knighthood. Indeed, a small church once stood on Glastonbury Tor, thought to be...

This shawl is part of the Gawain’s Shield shawl collection, based upon the medieval story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Courtesy was the way knights treated other people, trying not to be offensive or do harm. Of all of these five virtues, it was perhaps the most important, which is why the Camelot yarn base, the seat of Arthur’s court, w...

This shawl is part of the Gawain’s Shield shawl collection, based upon the medieval story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Although chastity did not mean knights could not have sex at all, Galahad was the embodiment of chastity and was one of the only truly pure knights (and thus one of the very few able to achieve the quest of the Holy Grai...

This shawl is part of the Gawain’s Shield shawl collection, based upon the medieval story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Because fellowship refers to how knights interact with one another, I chose this yarn for the name: Lancelot is a knight whose fellowship is well-known. Also, the worsted weight yarn gives this shawl more solidity, as do...

This shawl is part of the Gawain’s Shield shawl collection, based upon the medieval story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Generosity covers more than just giving money, and in many ways it can be thought of as giving a helping hand. The lace border resembles fingers, providing that helping hand on this shawl.

This baby blanket is knit all in one piece but gives the effect of being worked in four blocks, like a quilt. The seed stitch borders and a lifted twist pattern in each square make it seems like an extremely complex design, but it is not too challenging to navigate for intermediate or experienced knitters; the adventurous beginner also shouldn’...

Construction and Size

Construction and Size

Do you have a skein of sock yarn in your stash that you’re not sure what to do with? Maybe you enjoy making socks, but you either need a break from socks or feel that this particular skein just isn’t meant to be a pair of socks. You’ve asked other people what you should do with this skein of yarn and they suggest a shawl, but you’re not sure th...

Construction and Size

You know you have it--that skein of worsted weight yarn that looks so pretty because it has so many different colors. But you’ve tried several patterns and the variegated colors just aren’t working; perhaps you’ve thought about just leaving the yarn in a skein and using it for decoration. Although decorating with yarn is a lovely idea, give thi...

Construction and Size

Construction and Size

Construction and Size

Construction and Size

Construction and Size

Construction and Size

The Astolat Shawl is a triangular shawl worked from the top down, beginning with a garter tab cast on and increasing evenly to create a symmetrical shawl. The lace pattern resembles shields with a heart border along the bottom to represent the unrequited love of Elaine of Astolat for Lancelot.

Construction and Size

Construction and Size

Construction and Size

Construction and Size

This scarf uses an easy-to-memorize lace pattern suitable for beginning knitters and can be customized to any desired length.