Hapisk

Design: Hélène Magnússon

Hapisk was first published in The Book of Haps co-edited by Kate Davies and Jen Arnall-Culliford.  The first part of the book explores the hap’s Shetland history, and in the second part, 13 renowned designers present their contemporary interpretations of a hap.

The equivalents of the Shetland hap in Iceland come in two forms: either a long garter stitch shawl with sequences of busy coloured stripes, or a garter stitch triangular shawl worked top-down, with yarn overs flanking a central stitch, often with stripes or a lace edging, that crosses over the chest to bind at the back. The old shell pattern common to the Shetland hap is known in Iceland, but on a stockinette, rather than garter stitch background and can often be seen in long, striped shawls.

One of the characteristics of the Icelandic shawls is colourful borders, with stripes ranging from light to dark in natural shades from plant dyes or the fleece itself.

Hélène’s design is, at first glance, pretty much like a Shetland hap, with a central garter stitch section and a wavy lace border with an old shell motif, but with Icelandic and modern elements. The central square harks back to traditional long shawls with its sequence of stripes and the wavy lace border is finished with a crochet bind-off, typical of Icelandic lace shawls. A central slit gives the shawl a modern, wearable feel, in the manner of a poncho and, if wrapped around one shoulder, echoes the long shawl.

Size:141cm [55½] wide and 127.5cm [50¼in] deep, after washing and blocking.
Opening edge measures 64cm [25in].

Needles: circular needle 4 mm/US 6; spare needle of similar size; crochet hook 3.5mm [UK 9/US E/4]

Wool: Gilitrutt Tvíband by Hélène Magnússon: 100% new wool, pure Icelandic lambswool, plied lace, 2-ply, 25 g/skein = approx. 112 m/ 123 yds: the natural colors are those of the Icelandic lamb and are not dyed.

A Natural brown; 7 x 25g skeins
B Natural grey, 2 x 25g skeins
C Natural white, 3 x 25g skeins
D Natural black, 3 x 25g skeins
E Askja blue, 2 x 25g skeins

Gauge: 17 sts and 38 rows to 10cm [4in] over garter st, after washing and blocking
15 rows of edging, including crochet bind off measures 6cm [2¼in] at widest, after washing and blocking
Please be sure to match the washed and blocked gauge, since the unwashed row gauge may be significantly different.

Notions:
Waste yarn for provisional cast on
Tapestry needle
Stitch markers
Blocking wires and pins

Techniques: provisional cast on, lace, garter st, picking up stitches, crocheted bind off.

The pattern PDF includes link to online photo tutorials for special techniques.

A photo tutorial for the crochet provisional cast on is provided in the Special Techniques section of the Book og Haps. You may also wish to splice your yarns together, to minimise the number of ends to weave in. There is photo tutorial for this technique in the book.

Pattern: pattern is available as a PDF download. We don’t send patterns by snail mail..