Thórhildur KIT

DESIGNER: HELENE MAGNUSSON

Both the opened diamond and spider lace can be found in one of the first books on women’s handiwork and housework to be published in Icelandic, Leiðavísir til að nema ýmsar kvennlegar hannyrðir by Þóra Pjetursdóttir, Jarðþr. Jónsdóttir and Þóra Jónsdóttir. The book had a great influence on the development of Icelandic lace knitting. Published in Reykjavík in 1886, it is a compilation of patterns that were recreated by the authors, for the most part from Danish leaflets. It is probable however that some of the lace motifs themselves originate from the Shetland Islands.

The yarn used to knit the shawl is my own Love Story Einband, a unique true Icelandic lace weight yarn that I created in the hope that it would help revive the Icelandic knitting lace tradition and give it a new life. It is spun from fleeces I hand-select and grade one by one after the first shearing of the Icelandic lambs.

The fleeces are spun in specialty mills in Italy which can handle the unique challenges posed by Icelandic wool: composed of two very different types or hair, the long and coarse “tog” and the fine and short “þel”, it is very difficult to spin into a fine yarn. The carefully crafted result is an Icelandic lambswool yarn of unparalleled softness and fineness, especially suited for delicate, ethereal lace shawls and is reminiscent of the old handspun yarns that define traditional Icelandic lace. The Love Story yarn got an Award of Excellence from the Icelandic Lamb Board in 2017.

The pattern is available in Danish, Icelandic, English, French, German, Swedish and Faroese.

Size: one size – height at center 60 cm / 23.5”, wingspan 3 m / 3.2 yds

Gauge: 25 sts and 35 rows = 10 cm / 4” in garter st after blocking. Gauge is not crucial but will affect the yardage needed.

Wool: Love Story Einband from Hélène Magnússon, pure new wool (100% Icelandic lambswool), fine lace weight, 1 ply, 25 g skein = 225 m / 246 yds
Total yardage: 756 m / 827 yds
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MC: Sulphur Yellow, 3 skeins
CC: Natural grey, (pattern says 1 skein but you may run short so the kit contains 2 skeins). You can knit for example a Love Story scarf with the left over.

Needle: 4 mm / US 6 circular needle, 80 cm / 32” long

Notions: darning needle, markers (optional), blocking board, pins and/or blocking wires.

Techniques: garter stitch, lace, true lace (in every row).

Kit: the kit contains an Hélène Magnússon project bag and enough wool to complete the shawl. The kit doesn’t include the pattern that must be purchased separately. Shipping costs are not included

Shipping and returns: see Terms & conditions here.