215 SHAWL DESIGNS by Olivia Joensen

A new edition (Nov 2015) of the classic pattern book for the Faroese shawl, first published in 1980.

Excerpt from the foreword:

In bygone days Faroese women wore a knitted shawl. It is comfortable, practical and essentially feminine. Perhaps it is part of the rediscovery of the values of the past that the shawl has come into its own again. Young women take pride in wearing this simple, elegant garment that has been worn for generations.

The diagram and knitting instructions are for a basic shawl pattern. The design round the border can be used on many other knitted garments, for cross-stitch embroidery, or in weaving.

142 pages, hardback

Text in English, Faroese, & Danish

To knit a shawl from this book, the yarn requirements are:

Approx 110g single ply dark brown Faroese wool

Approx 120g single ply white Faroese wool (lining)

Approx 65g 2-ply dark brown Faroese wool (fringes)

Any of the laceweight Faroese yarns will be suitable for the main part of the shawl: Snældan 1-ply, Sirri 1-ply, or Navia Uno. You can of course vary the shades.

You can read our blog about the family history of this book here.