Beltane Tunisian Shawl by Catrina MacKenzie

Beltane Tunisian Shawl

Crochet
February 2021
DK (11 wpi) ?
8 stitches and 8 rows = 2 inches
in Tunisian Simple Stitch
5.5 mm (I)
890 - 950 yards (814 - 869 m)
Wingspan = 74”, Long lower edge = 67”, short lower edge = 30”
US
English
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Beltane is the Celtic Druid spring festival, typically celebrated when the cattle were moved to the summer pasture. In modern times, Beltane has transformed into May Day. This asymmetric, Tunisian crochet shawl is filled with Beltane symbolism: The mesh channels (pictured in variegated yarn) represent the rivers and brooks filled with water in the spring, the polka dot sections (pictured in peach and sand with green polka dots) represent the crops starting to grow in the fields, the textured weave sections (pictured in peach and sand colors) are meant to illustrate the pathways chopped up by cattle hooves as they walk to the summer pasture, and finally the cross-stitch sections (pictured in green) represent crossing ribbons as dancers interweave their paths around the May pole. The shawl is asymmetric and worked from a wide base, up to a tip, using DK weight yarn (360-400g).