PATTERN UPDATE

#I am updating the pattern at the moment - it will be available again very soon!#

The coast is a meeting place. It is where land and seas meet. It is where the terns dance over the waves, where storms throw the sea onto the land and where the marram grass leans in the wind. It is where I go to breath and recharge my batteries.

The Oirthir Shawl takes its inspiration from this place of beauty, solitude and freedom (Oirthir means ‘coast’ in Scottish Gaelic). Knitted in a herringbone pattern, the shawl embodies the transition from the sea to the land. Starting with the sea (blue), the knitter journeys up the beach (grey) to the land (brown) and ends amongst the lichen covered rocks of the mountains (yellow). Different coloured slip-stitch bands break up the main pattern to capture the feel of the interweaving energy of the coastline.

Finished measurements: 183cm (71¾in) along the (curved) wingspan of the shawl, 62cm (24 ¾in) deep.

Yarn: DK yarn

Materials used: 4 skeins of Iolair Yarn Easdale (70% Baby Alpaca, 20% Silk, 10% Cashmere; 400m 437yds/ 100g) or use any DKply yarn as substitute; shown in colour “light blue” (celestite/V11 (C1)), “light grey” (howlite/AJ1 (C2))”, “brown” (limonite/U7 (C3)) and “yellow” (wulfenite/V7 (C4)).

Gauge: 21 stitches and 25 rows = 10cm 4in in st stitch, unblocked, but exact gauge is not crucial.

Needles: Gauge-size circular needle; tapestry needle
For reference: A 4mm/ US 6 size circular needle (80cm 32in length) was used to knit the shawl.

Construction notes: The shawl begins on one end of the corner and is worked length width to the other end. The combination of working decreases every 4th row and increases at every 2nd row creates an asymmetric, slightly curved shawl that wraps beautifully around the neck and shoulders.

The main body of the shawl is knitted in four sections, each section is knitted in a herringbone pattern, broken up by decorative slip-stitch bands.

The shawl is finished with an i-cord bind off.

You only knit with one colour of yarn at a time.

Written and chartered instructions are provided.