Shawls & Scarves

Ancient and modern, practical and elegant

The Haapsalu Shawl

It is truly rare that a book that is so beautifully presented is also filled with so very much that knitters want to know and learn. The Haapsalu Shawl exceeds every expectation I've come to have concerning wonderful knitting books.

• Here is a "coffee table book" that you'll have more often in your lap because it has so much in it you'll want to read and learn from.
• Here is a knitting book with the very best photos I've ever seen of over 100 lace patterns. If you've ever wanted to see nups up close and in their most radiant form, you'll get your wish dozens of times over between the pages of this volume.
• If you've wished for a really clear tutorial on the art and craft of creating Estonian lace, you'll find it here. Only you can make yourself a master knitter, but The Haapsalu Shawl will give you all the instruction, including clear, close-up photos of each bit of knitting technique.
• If you are an armchair traveller, you'll find a glimpse of the life and history of Haapsalu that will make you long for more. Haapsalu may well become one of the most well-visited locales as a result of this vibrant book.

The Haapsalu Shawl a book-loving knitter's dream come true. Sheer joy.

Near Solstice Lace Shawl

At winter's dawning
Birds are dancing on my snow
To silent music.

Dance with the birds through icey realms as your hands warm to the knitting of their joyous steps.

Bridget Rorem's Near Solstice, a triangular shawl, features an array of lacy bird's feet, dancing in the snow. Also, knitted in lace across the top of the triangle is an original and very touching haiku.

Bridget is truly an extraordinary lace innovator, never borrowing existing patterns from books, but designing each of her unique motifs from scratch and, when necessary, inventing techniques to realize her ideas.

Shetland Lace

Back at last after far too long out of print! Gladys Amedro's classic book on the art of Shetland lace, complete with over a dozen original patterns and a bounty of history and technical tips. Some of these shawls are so dazzling it is hard to move on to the next page. This revised edition sports more photos and some corrections. Absolutely essential reading for any lace knitter!

Heirloom Knitting

I have to say that if you can have only one lace book, this is the one to get because it really covers everything and presents each and every tidbit beautifully. Sharon Miller must love not only lace knitting, but teaching and writing equally well, for this book is one of the most sterling knitting books to have ever been crafted.

She invites us into the world of Shetland lace through a door that opens at the very beginning, both of the lace itself and the knitting skill one needs to make it. Although the book's nearly 300 pages are peppered with one ravishing photo of heirloom lace after another, they are also liberally graced with clear photos, drawings, charts and explanations of every single thing you need and want to know. She offers one of the clearest and most detailed discussions of Shetland lace history, tracing the techniques and economy along with an overview of pattern origins and the like. From there, we learn the special cast-ons used on the Shetland Isles for this lace and are showered with all manner of tips for techniques and approaches the author has discovered over time.

And then come the patterns: 120 pages of traditional Shetland lace motifs, clearly photographed, charted and explained. Miller even shares which patterns work well for which parts of a garment (e.g., does a pattern decrease in a lovely way for a mitered corner, or is it best left to the center?).

Then follows a 60 page section devoted to design - much to my delight she begins her discourse on charting, laying out, etc. with a discussion of wool and the dear Shetland sheep that produce it. Hand spinners will love her discussion on spinning lace yarn. After these few pages, it's time to get out paper, pencil and ruler and join her in a excursion through lace garment design, including fitted garment (e.g., jacket) design, just in case you thought it would be strictly shawls.

At last, you arrive at her projects: all graded from very beginner to very experienced, and each and everyone beautiful and exciting. There are 8 different projects with complete instructions ranging from layettes to an Unst shawl and Christening gown than are museum quality. Additionally, of course, always remember that as you travelled Heirloom Knitting , you were given all the tools you need to chart your own course and create your own masterpiece. Sharon Miller's life's work will have become your heart's delight.

The Art of Shetland Lace

Sarah Don is one of my all-time knitting heroines, dating from way back in the late 1970s/early 1980s when I discovered her wonderful Fair Isle Knitting (soon to be available again after too long out of print!), a book brimming with lore, how-to's, and some of the most beautiful Fair Isle sweaters I'd ever seen. Fair Isle became a favorite technique, one that I still love today. I owe it all to Sarah Don.

The Art of Shetland Lace came and went during the same time -- and it is every bit as rich and inspiring as her Fair Isle book. It, too, languished out of print for what has seemed like forever, so it is no real surprise that many of us feel like celebrating. It offers a richness of history and technique, replete with black and white photos of museum pieces that showcase an inspiring knitting tradition, one to which we owe some of the world's most beautiful lace heirlooms.

Here, Sarah Don takes us from history to basic design elements, from garment structures through traditional patterns and on to complete shawls, scarves and more that you can make yourself. I find that anywhere I open the book, I am quickly drawn in, captivated, inspired and encouraged to go forward into my own lace projects. The Art of Shetland Lace is just that good - a must have for any lace knitter's bookshelf.

Shetland Lace Knitting from Charts

It is hard to believe that a book that boasts just under 50 pages can have so much in it - but it does. If you gather yarn and needles then sit down and open the pages of this petite treasure, you will begin a journey that will take you through all the basics of the Shetland tradition of lace knitting. And then it will take you beyond the basics and into the realms of pure delight and delectable lace.

Here's how Hazel Carter does it, chapter by chapter:

• Introduction and Notes to Beginners (covers charts, symbols, materials, dressing and dressing frame)
• Seven basic patterns
• Diamonds
• Reducing charts
• Interlocking diamonds
• More traditional patterns
• Combination patterns
• Advanced patterns (and she shows you how to use all these patterns to create intricate-looking lace as she goes along)
• Edgings 1-4
• Articles [of clothing] to make (includes more patterns)
• Modern applications and experiments

You get the picture - Carter's little book is much bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. A classic and a treasure for any lace knitter!

Knitting Lace with Meg Swansen

There is so much to love about Meg's Lace DVD, that it strikes me as a bit presumptuous to begin with what I like best, but I'm going to do it nonetheless.

What I like best about Knitting Lace with Meg Swansen is that in her very first project (she knits three with us), she starts right out with a technique that is considered "advanced." She explains it clearly, demonstrates it superbly, and somewhere in there you realize that this "advanced" technique is not all that hard to do. In fact, you reason to yourself, if this is deep water in lace knitting, you've got nothing at all to worry about, as none of it is above the knees.

Which is a wonderful gift, because in that one beginning garment Meg shows all knitters everywhere that while lace knitting differs from sweaters and blankets, it is really within the reach of any knitter.

And so, on she goes, and we go with her. Together with Meg, we knit a beautiful lace stole, a Faroese scarf and finally, on to the piece-de-resistance, Meg's delicious Mañanita. The mañanita is a lace poncho which, while retaining all the elegant grace of any lace shawl, is also fuss-free when it comes to wearing. Just toss it on over your head and, presto!, all dressed up. It is a true gem.

There are many things you'll learn during this lacey journey with Meg, among them:

• Cast-on techniques that work wonders in lace knitting
• How to turn a doily into a stunning shawl
• Faroese shaping (and why we all love it)
• Decreasing and Increasing techniques to keep your lace singing
• A demonstration of the difference between knit lace and knitted lace, and why you should consider which you want
• much more

Lace knitters everywhere will want this dvd on their shelves - as a reference it is unbeatable!

Arctic Lace

Arctic Lace is filled with delicious surprises, not the least of which (for me - you may have already known this, but I didn't) was discovering vibrant communities of knitters who have created a new genre of lace knitting that truly springs from the land and peoples who live and knit in Arctic Alaska. There are new patterns echoing their unique place on our dear planet: North Star; Grass-Basket; Skeleton (from traditional paintings); Fish Trap (that looks quite different from the more European-inspired Fish Trap of Elizabeth Zimmermann) and more and more. There is also a unique cowl/hood called a Nachaq which is as beautiful as it is practical.

But, wait, there's more. You'll also find a superb lace knitting tutorial, complete with a few new ideas about how to get things done and packed with step-by-step photos to show you how to accomplish each technique.

And then there's Druchunas' portrait of the land, its people and those amazing musk oxen who produce qiviut, one of the softest, warmest, most luxurious fibers ever and absolutely native to the area. Not that long ago these beasts were nearly extinct in both Alaska and Canada, but now there are over 150,000 of them. Musk oxen were created to thrive in the cold -- even their herding habits are ideal for surviving bitter temperatures. Part of their secret of survival is their soft, downy undercoat of qiviut which is hand "plucked" by caretakers who develop a very close relationship with these creatures, indeed.

The native peoples were having as hard a time at survival as the musk ox, but now have joined forces with this champion survivor and are begining to thrive themselves. The knitting co-ops spin and knit qiviut into gossamer creations (some of which you can knit from the patterns in this book) that have found a market in places far and wide. Life is returning and the enthusiasm of the knitters for their craft and their communities seems boundless. It is simply a joy to glimpse into their lives and their work.

This winter, treat yourself to the heartwarmth of Arctic Lace -- it offers the kind of warmth that lasts and lasts.

A Gathering of Lace

Paging through this magnificent book is like strolling through the world's loveliest gardens. At every turn, in any direction there is something unexpected, something that beckons you to look closer, something that invites you share in its secrets, to make it your own. A feast for the eyes, inspiration for the hands, nourishment for the soul.

Meg Swansen called upon 34 lace knitters to share their favorite projects and many shared more than one. Every style and way of using lace is represented at its zenith, photographed in all its glory, and accompanied by clear, well-illustrated instructions. It's hard to imagine wanting anything more. Beautiful, lavish, useful!

The Gossamer Webs Design Collection

For those knitters who were seduced by "Gossamer Webs, the History and Techniques of Orenburg Lace Shawls" but were left wanting instructions for a complete shawl--rejoice! Here are patterns for four Orenburg projects: a small sampler "learning piece" that contains all the construction principles and techniques used in full size shawls, plus a triangular shawl, a rectangular scarf and a medallion square shawl. Also included is a stitch and border dictionary. For the experienced knitter who is comfortable working from charts. All photos of finished pieces and charts are black and white, except the cover and back cover photos.

Folk Shawls

Cheryl Oberle takes us on a textile tour of the globe -- traveling near and far, east, west, north and south. Along the way we are treated to vignettes and storybook tales about life and love from the places she takes us to. At each destination we stop to bask in the glow of a traditional shawl, seeing in its stitches the story it has to tell us. As we let each shawl speak, our fingers learn its rhythms and pathways, and we knit our own story into a shawl that is its sister and our own. This is really a magical book!

You'll find Oberle's introduction and instructions clear and very easy to follow, her sense of heritage warm and deep, and her transformations into knitting of several of the shawls that were traditionally woven rather spectacular. The places you can visit with her are the Faeroe Islands, Ireland, Japan, the American Heartland, Iceland, Victorian England, Russia, Scotland, Mexico, South America, Norway, Native America, the Himalayas, & Spain. Quite a feast - enjoy!

Traditional Knitted Lace Shawls

Timeless and beautiful shawls from Ireland, Scotland, and Wales inspire this volume of stitches and shawl patterns. Shapes include triangles, squares, circles, and half-circles; with openwork, textured stitches, and lace edgings to combine as you choose. Everything you need to know to design and knit your own shawls is provided, with detailed instructions for eight shawls awaiting your needles.

My favorite thing about this book, though, isn't the marvelous patterns. It's that there is an entire section devoted to different ways to wear shawls -- there are more ways to drape and fold shawls than I ever imagined, and now that I know what they are, you can bet I'm going to use them. What a wonderful bonus to a great knitting book!

Stahman's Shawls and Scarves

What a wonderful book and what wonderful techniques! Myrna Stahman has explored the furthest reaches of those magnificent Faroe shawls and created an approach that yields up beautiful shawls with any size yarn you choose to use. She thoroughly discusses everything you need to know about designing and knitting these shawls, including innovative approaches to construction and even blocking.

And then, there are the seaman's scarves, the only form-fitting scarves I know about. They are so elegant and so inviting of your design creativity. The shawl section is followed by a section devoted exclusively to seamen's scarves -- this is like a luscious dessert after a glorious meal. Myrna even gives information about the Christmas-at-Sea Program of the Seamen's Church Institute, should your knitting enthusiasm leave you with Seamen's Scarves to donate. This is a lace book that you'll not only treasure, but use again and again.