Hila

Long shawls probably came to Iceland as a fad and were very common in the 1920’s. They could be both lace and garter stitch shawls busily striped. A few examples knitted with very fine Icelandic yarn, handspun from either the soft inner coat þel (thel) or from the tog, the coarser outer hair, can be found at the Textile Museum in Blönduós. They inspired me to knit Hila, a very dear garter stitch shawl with colorful stripes and a few eyelet holes. It can be worn doubled as a scarf or single as an elegant wrap. The design is extremely simple, as knitting with the very fine Love Story is difficult enough. I recommend that you use a lace needle, with sharp points, to ease the knitting. The shawl got its name during the Hiking and Knitting Tour with the Elves last summer. Hila will know…

Love Story is an exceptional lace yarn created by Hélène Magnússon. It is a very fine 1 ply lace weight yarn made of soft Icelandic lambswool carefully selected by Hélène from Icelandic sheep farmers. Love Story knits beautifully into very delicate and ethereal lace shawls and is reminiscent of the Old handspun yarns that Icelandic lace is known for.

Hélène Magnússon is a Icelandic knit designer, the author of many books about traditional Icelandic knitting and the editor of The Icelandic Knitter. She likes to put a new spin on Icelandic traditions. She began her professional life as a lawyer in Paris before she made a complete life change and moved to Iceland, where she studied textile and fashion at Iceland Academy of the Arts and worked as a hired girl in a sheep farm and a mountain guide. The varied skills she learned in those early years richly inform the amazing hiking and knitting tours she passionately guides in collaboration with tour operator Icelandic Mountain Guides / Iceland Rovers.

One size: 60 x 150 cm / 23.5” x 59”

Gauge: 10 cm/ 4” = 17 sts and 34 rows (17 ridges) in garter st with Love Story on needle 3.5 mm/US 4 after blocking.

Gauge not essential.

Needles: 3.5 mm/US 4 circular lace needle (with pointy tips)

3 mm/ US D-3 crochet hook (to attach the fringe)

Wool: Love Story from Hélène Magnússon, pure new wool, 100 % Icelandic lambswool, fine lace, 1 ply, 25g/ skein = 225 m/ 246 yds.
MC: 3 skeins
CC1, CC2 and CC3: 1 skein each

There are enough of the CCs left to knit for example an Icelandic Spring shawl.

Color combinations shown MC/CC1/CC2/CC3:
Natural White/ Moss green/ Anis green/ Askja blue
Thyme purple/ Volcanic red/ Silene pink/ Old pink

Notions: blocking wires (or equivalent), pins, darning needle

Techniques: the shawl is knitted back and forth in garter st. Eyelet hole lace, fringe.

Pattern: once you’ve made your payment, you will receive an email with a link to download the pattern PDF. We don’t send patterns by snailmail.

Errata: no mistake has been found in this pattern