This is the shawl I was knitting when the schools closed and the lockdown was announced. It carried me through the first couple of weeks was a really fun knit. The test was a bit more stressful as every tester picked up the suggested needle, but worked to a looser gauge and ran out of yarn after the lace sections, so I’ve compensated by lowering the suggested needle by a couple of sizes, and I strongly suggest testing your blocked gauge before starting!
Because it uses two skeins, Loidhne turns out as a pretty large shawl, and there’s loads of ways to wear it! I particularly love the way it’s styled here, with the top edge being gathered up a bit before being wrapped around your neck bandanna style! My other favourite style is the main photo on the pattern page – worn asymmetrically with the point over one shoulder.
Stretched and blocked garter stitch is one of my favourite stitches for shawls – I love how drapey it becomes, while still being warm and squishy. Loidhne is a great accessory for summer days – perfect to keep off breezes during the day and wrap up in when the evening gets colder.
The name Loidhne means lines in Scottish Gaelic and I originally named it for the diagonal lines in the lace (which go in different directions in the top and bottom sections) but my favourite lines in the shawl have become the graduated stripes used to work each colour into the shawl!
If you want to find out what I’m up to between blog posts you can keep an eye on what I’m up to on Instagram! If you’d like an exclusive 40% discount on future releases sign up to my newsletter – I only send out emails when I release a new pattern or am having a sale, so usually, you’ll only hear from me about once a month.
