Maids from the south through Myrkwood flew,
Fair and young, their fate to follow;
On the shore of the sea to rest then they sat,
The maids of the south, and flax they spun.

There did they sit for seven winters,
In the eighth at last came their longing again,
(And in the ninth did need divide them).
The maidens yearned for the murky wood,
The fair young maids, their fate to follow.

Völundarkvi∂a, trans. Henry Adams Bellows

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Myrkwood is a lace sampler scarf/cowl worked in a single piece from the bottom up. It contains 11 leaf and twig motifs, many of them Estonian. There are no nupps in this design.

The top edge is worked with buttonholes so that you can use the finished piece as a scarf or cowl. Instructions are given to eliminate the buttonholes if you intend to wear it solely as a scarf.

Length can be varied by knitting more or fewer of the lace motifs. You can mix and match as you like. If you have less yarn, try selecting your favourites and making a shorter cowl version.

The lace patterns are charted only.

This pattern is part of my collection Among the Æsir, inspired by the Norse gods and their world.

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