The inspiration for this shawl comes from the juniper tree and its stark beauty, vigor, and resilience. There is some evidence that the hardy juniper may have been one of the first trees to colonize Northern Europe as the ice sheets retreated at the end of the last Ice Age. Interestingly, the juniper tree also played an important role in the life of the ancient Celtic people as a protector against dangerous forces.

For Ferywen, Welsh for ‘juniper’, I wanted to create a lace pattern which would combine Celtic shapes with the geometry of evergreen leaves and branches. I used some simple nupps to mimic the texture of juniper berries; however, these can be easily replaced with beads for a bit of extra sparkle.

This shawl is worked in one piece starting with the lace border along the bottom edge and is shaped into a crescent with simple stockinette short rows (no wraps). The final three rows prior to bind off are worked in seed stitch to prevent rolling along the top edge. While the lace pattern may seem intricate, it uses only basic stitches, the reverse rows are purled, and the addition of nupps or beads is optional.

The Ferywen pattern is now available as Ravelry download.

This pattern was originally published as part of the Fibre Space Neighborhood Fiber Co Gift Club in December 2012.

Questions or comments about my designs?
Interested in KALs & MKALs?
Join Susanna IC group on Ravelry:
http://www.ravelry.com/groups/susanna-ic