This Lacy Knit Kerchief Honors the New President of Iceland

I’ll admit to not knowing a lot about global politics and national elections in other countries, so I was happy to read the back story on this pattern, Hölluklútur by Maja Siska.

This little lacy kerchief was inspired by a candidate for president in Iceland, Halla Tómasdóttir, who wore a silk neck scarf during the first televised debate of the election season. She said she wore it because she felt a cold coming on, but whatever the reason, it became a bit of a symbol among her supporters, with others wearing them at campaign events and rallies. She ultimately won the election and is now the president, having been inaugurated on August 1.

This mesh lace scarf is an asymmetrical diamond, worked by increasing on one side and decreasing on the other. It’s finished with a crocheted picot edge, but you can use a different edging if you don’t know how to crochet.

It uses lace weight yarn, but if you wanted to make a more substantial scarf or shawl in the same style you could use heavier weight yarn. As it is, this is a quick and easy project that’s a good introduction to mesh lace knitting if you’ve never done it before.

It only uses about 130 yards, or 120 meters, of yarn, so this might be a good project for using a bit of leftover yarn from another project, or a small single skein you’re not sure what to do with.

The pattern was developed for South Iceland Wool Week and is available as a free download on Ravelry. The pattern is offered in English and Icelandic.

If you’re looking for more easy lace knitting patterns to try, check out this collection of easy lace scarves, or this one with easy lace knitting patterns including other projects aside from scarves.

[Photo: Maja Siska]

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There’s always room for more stitch dictionaries on your shelf, but Andrea Rangel’s Knitovation Stitch Dictionary is unlike those stitch pattern books you might already own. That’s because this one is full of colorwork stitch patterns rather than textured stitches, lace or cables, so the designs are ripe for adding to hats, sweaters and other projects with a stockinette stitch background.

The book starts with a quick introduction to knitting colorwork that’s also unlike what you’ve probably seen before, because it’s less about the colors themselves and more about the kinds of fibers you choose, how the yarn is prepared and the gauge you’re working at and how those things all change the look of a design.

Most of the book is filled with motif designs and swatches. The motifs were designed and named by Andrea’s husband Sean, who is an artist and brings a bit of whimsy to the designs.

You’ll find some classic looking leaves and flowers, mosaics and waves, but also rubber ducks, penguins, puzzle pieces, cherries and cows, snails and teapots, eyeballs and chess pieces, to name a few. Many of the designs also have funny names, like a fish named toilet bound, or cats in suits called corporate fat cat.

Of course you can use the designs in any way you want on any project you like, but there are also three patterns in the book — for a hat, a sweater and a pair of fingerless gloves — plus discussion of how the motifs were added, adjusting patterns for a different size or gauge, and adding your own motifs.

If you like adding a bit of colorwork to otherwise plain projects that other people have designed, or you’re ready to start making your own designs with fun motifs, this book is a great place to start. The fun and funny motifs are sure to inspire you to want to pick up your needles and add a little more color to your projects.

About the book: 160 pages, hardcover, 150+ motifs and three knitting patterns. Published 2023 by Interweave, suggested retail $28.

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