Cockleshell Scarf

Cockleshell Scarf pattern, a classic Shetland Lace motif. The cockleshell is a traditional design element found in Shetland lace knitting. It is characterized by curved shapes resembling the ridges on the edge of a scallop shell or cockleshell. The cockleshell motif became particularly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when Shetland lace knitting became a significant industry in the islands. Shetland lace shawls were highly prized and were exported in large quantities from Shetland.

Materials

Jamieson & Smith Shetland Supreme 2ply Lace (200m/219yds per 25g ball) Shetland Black x 2, Grey, Moorit, Fawn, White x 1 ball each

3.00mm needles

Spare 3.00mm needle to hold one half while the other is worked

Tapestry needle

Sizing

The scarf is 3 cockles wide and 32 cockles long measuring approximately 23cm/9” wide and 166cm/65” long.

Pattern Notes: The scarf is worked flat in two halves and then grafted together in the middle. The effect of the shell is made by creating long loops which are then dropped and knitted together as one. The pattern's tricker aspects only occur on two rows, and the rest is quite straightforward.