Icelandic Spring shawl with Gilitrutt KIT

“This lovely shawl takes into consideration the unique characteristics of the Icelandic wool: knitted on rather big needles, you will be able to stretch it extensively when blocking and it will hold the shape! It is knitted from the top down with one simple pattern repeat used in different ways to give the shawl its shape, and a very easy lacy border. The pattern becomes more effective by playing with the colors, just like in the typical Old Icelandic shawls. I chose some refreshing colors: they remind me of spring!”

One year later, it’s spring again… and it’s raining! Raining so much that’s it’s muddy! The new color combinations “It”s raining” (grey, blue, black) and “It’s muddy!” (browns, beige and a tiny bit of green) and the “Love” variation using cobweb Love Story yarn, illustrate how colors and their arrangement can dramatically change the allure of a shawl!

Another year has passed, winter seems endless…

And in 2014, of course I have to knit the shawl using my own Icelandic plied lace yarn: knitted with 4 colors, the Spring shawl shows yet another facet!

The designer

Hélène Magnússon likes to put a new spin on old Icelandic knitting traditions. She enjoys designs with strong ties to Iceland and that tell a story. She is best known for her research into the traditional Icelandic intarsia that was mostly seen in knitted insoles in the past centuries. Her book, Icelandic knitting: using Rose Patterns is available in three languages. She is a French native but a true Icelandic knitter and has an Icelandic family. Hélène abandoned a law career in Paris for the love of Icelandic nature. She worked as a mountain guide for many years in Iceland and studied textile and fashion design at the Iceland Academy of the Arts. She is the head and designer behind The Icelandic Knitter.

Size: one size. Shawl fits a square ca 95×95 cm / 37×37”

Needles: circular needle 5 mm / 8 US, crochet hook 2 mm (B/1 US)

Gauge: 10×10 cm / 4”x 4” = 16 sts x 22 rows in stocking st on needles 5 mm. Gauge is not essential but you may run short of yarn if your gauge is too loose.

Yarn: Gilitrutt Tvíband by Hélène Magnússon, 100% new wool, 100% Icelandic lambswool, plied lace, 2-ply, 25g/ skein = approx. 112 m/ 123 yds

Total yardage used: about 440 m

Color combinations:

Spring: Salmon orange, Moss green, Sulfure yellow, 1 skein each, Natural white 2 skeins
Blue/green: Anis green, Moss green, Hot spring blue, Askja blue, 1 skein each
Pink: Old pink, Thyme purple, Anis green, Natural white, 1 skein each

Techniques: provisional cast-on, top down, lace, crocheted bind-off

Pattern: once you’ve made your payment, you will receive an email with instructions on how to download the pattern. It comes as a PDF file. We don’t send pattern by snail mail.

Kit: includes the yarn and material. Kit doesn’t include the needles and notions. Shipping costs are not included in the price. Pattern is not included and has to be purchased separately.

Errata: no mistake was found in this pattern but there were a few updates:

24.04.2012: instructions for color combinations “It’s raining” and “It’s muddy” and “Love” variation added to the pattern.

16.01.2015: Grýla/Gilitrutt color combination added. Written instructions added. New layout. Newest file ending ENG2-1