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Inspiration for the Longship Shawl came from my admiration for the ancient Vikings’ longships in which they explored unknown and dangerous seas. Undoubtedly, these courageous seafarers must have developed a unique bond with both ship and ocean. I imagined one such Viking, left behind on land, climbing to the top of a cliff to look out over the ocean. He might have imagined the creaking and billowing of the sails, the splash of oars, the shouts of the men, and the feel of the deck heaving under his feet. Did he long to be back at sea?

Ship and sea make their presence felt throughout this design!
Along the right edge, ocean waves rise and fall on a twisted rib background travelling the length of the shawl, continuing into the border. In the shawl body, diagonal ridges echo the graceful lines of a longship prow seen head-on (as in this image https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gokstad_ship). Thicker cables and eyelet columns indicate the heavy ropes and chains used on board. Short, horizontal garter ridges represent wavelets lapping around the ship’s hull.
Cables and twisted stitches produce a dramatic, richly textured fabric.
Hope you love the design as much as I do!

Pattern instructions are both written and charted.

Sizes: Small (Medium, Large).
Sample shown in Size Medium.

Finished Measurements
Length: 170 (205.5, 241.5) cm / 67 (81, 95)“ at top edge (neck edge)
Depth to centre point: 68.5 (89, 109) cm / 27 (35, 43)”
Width: 88 ½ (106 ½, 125) cm / 34 ¾ (42, 49 ¼)“ at cast-off edge
Measurements were taken after blocking and allowing fabric to relax.

Gauge
20 sts / 22 rows = 10 cm / 4” in twisted rib (RS: k1 tbl, p1; WS: k1, p1 tbl), after blocking and relaxing 19 sts / 23 rows = 10 cm / 4” in body pattern, after blocking and relaxing

Materials
Yarn: You may use any DK weight yarn that gives you gauge.
Shawl in photos used: Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts Herlig DK (50% Viking Norway Wool/50% Fine Merino) 100g/3.5oz, 250m/273yds. Sample shown in Denim 2.
Yardage: 4 (5, 6) skein(s)
Total estimated yardage: Approx 772 (1134, 1497) m/845 (1241, 1636) yds

Needle Sizes: 3.5 mm / US 4, 80 cm / 32” circular needles or size needed to achieve gauge. Gauge is not critical for this project but change in gauge will affect finished size and yarn requirement.

Notions: Cable needle, 1 stitch marker, stitch markers in a second colour (optional to mark stitch pattern repeats), tapestry needle.

This pattern was originally published by Ancient Arts Yarns in 2023 in the North Sea Collection.