This shawl is named for Lillemor Rachlew, one of the first women to set foot on the continent of Antarctica.

Working on this project inspired me to reread one of my favorite Ursula K. Le Guin stories: “Sur,” which claims to be an unpublished account of an all-female expedition to Antarctica in 1909-1910. The women make their way to the South Pole, leaving no monuments to their achievement (in part to protect the delicate egos of male explorers). Focused on supporting each other, they reject the opportunity to make history. Their goal, rather, is “to go, to see—no more, no less.”

“Sur” is a wonderfully subversive tale, with Le Guin’s characteristic emphasis on thinking for one’s self. She invites us to consider what it means to separate the notion of “achievement” from what we choose to experience.

Rest in peace, beloved Ursula. We owe you so much.

One can imagine that Le Guin may have been inspired by Rachlew Lillemor’s story: Lillemor apparently kept a record of her 1933 Antarctic journey, though most of her diary has been lost.

I used Ysolda’s Light Marl for the body of this shawl and used the coordinating Dark Marl for the eyelets and the border. I was concerned there wouldn’t be enough Light Marl, so I skipped one of the sections and dropped down to a size 4 needle. Bristol Ivy’s pattern is simultaneously addictive and relaxing, and the Ysolda Laceweight yarn is incredibly soft and strong. A general failure to read instructions meant that I created regular short rows instead of Japanese short rows, but I’m not unhappy with the results.

According to Ivy, the shawl’s inspiration came from accumulated snowdrifts, and her book includes an evocative photograph of drifts layered in her basement window. Fragile and irregular, but building upon each other with undeniable weight, the snowdrifts convey a sense of women’s pioneering spirit.