Beltane

Beltane is the fifth festival in the Wheel of the Year and the anglicised form of Bealtaine, the Gaelic Mayday. The days are growing longer, the Earth has warmed, it is the beginning of Summer. Ceremonies centre on the lighting of special bonfires, with all household fires doused and then re-lit from the Beltane bonfire. Fire plays an important part in the inspiration for this design, from the bonfire motif of the centre to the flickering flames of the knitted-on edges.

Beltane the shawl is an Ascot or Stole, knit in 4ply/fingering yarn for a light and airy layer. It can be knit as a short narrow Ascot/neck-warmer, or a large elegant wrap; two sizes are given for narrow Ascot or wide Stole, but any width or length could be achieved. The pattern is worked from a provisional cast on, either from the charts or written instructions. Beltane has a fixed width border on either side of an adjustable central panel; the centre panel can be repeated as many times as you wish to alter the width. The shawl can be lengthened or shortened by increasing or decreasing the number of vertical repeats of the main chart.

Techniques used: provisional cast on, crochet cast on, knitted-on lace edge.

Yarn required: Any 4ply/fingering yarn with good stitch definition is suitable. My samples were knit in Malabrigo Mechita; 100% Merino wool single ply; 384 m / 420 yds per 100g; the narrow Ascot sample is shown in 704 Ivory, and required 75 g / 290 m / 317 yds; the wide Stole sample required 230 g / 885 m / 968 yds of 013 Oro.

Tools: 4 mm [US size 6] needles, 4 mm [US size G-6] crochet hook, stitch markers, waste yarn for provisional cast on, tapestry needle.

Finished size: Two sizes are described, Ascot (Stole), but both width and length can be adjusted as detailed in the instructions. Finished size of the narrow Ascot sample shown is 90 cm / 36” x 30 cm / 12” ; the wide Stole sample is 200 cm / 80” x 43 cm / 17 ¼” .