My first hap designed as a result of my research about Shetland wraps: the Old Shale Shetland Hap pattern has been published! I wrote about my preparations for designing this piece in my Shetland haps post.
The sample presented in this pattern is made of hand-spun, two-ply Estonian wool in two natural colours- white and grey. I had only this much fibre to work with so I decided on a small version of a hap, which I called a Shetland Lap Hap. This project took only 720 m (790 yd.) of yarn, which makes it perfect for a first-time hap knitting, and the stitch pattern is not difficult at all so even beginners can knit this wrap.
I got this wool a long time ago, at the craft market in Helsinki, Finland. It felt amazing to be back to work with this fibre and the Shetland lace motives, which I discovered only recently. Also the wonderful weather we had in Wrocław, Poland added to the true joy I cherished while discovering the tradition of hap making. I am happy to share the pattern with all of you, who would like to knit a hap for yourself or somebody special in your life.
What makes haps extraordinary to me is their construction. I have chosen to work in one of the most common way- begin with the diagonal centre square and build the border (the wavy part) around it. Back in the days, these pieces where knitted differently, i.e. four borders where built separately based on four edges of the central square and then connected in each corner section. Today we have access to circular needles and there is a convenient way to work the Old Shale pattern around the central square. This allows continuous border making with no seeming needed, which is a true advantage for many contemporary knitters. I do not mind seaming; however, connecting lace stitches requires precise work and often, especially is very complex patterns, is quite a challenge. Old Shale pattern should be easy to graft but why not to use circulars if I have access to them, and save some time?
As for the edging, it needed to be something tiny, that is why I left the full version of the peaked edging for another occasion and came up with its mini version, where the spikes play their finishing role perfectly.
This yarn and this hap were meant for each other. Although it is a two-ply yearn, the stitch definition is very good and the slight variations in grey add some delicate flavour to this design. Taking my time and letting the yarn to reunite with its matching design paid back.
It is a fairly easy knit, even for a newbie, so I encourage every person to try. I am sure you will love this wrap once finished. The pattern is now available in the patterns section → Old Shale Shetland Hap. Enjoy your journey to the world of Shetland with this design and welcome to join my Stitch Glimpse group to share photos of your finished hap.
Happy stitching!
~ Cathliin
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