# Faroese Shawls



## dianaiad (Feb 9, 2011)

I love Faroese shawls; those butterfly/bat winged ones that really do stay on your shoulders. The problem for me is that I want to try an 'authentic' one...and all I can find are patterns for knitting them 'top down.'

The ladies in the Faroese Islands knit them from the bottom up, solidly garter stitch with some fancy work on the center panel. That's if they bother with the fancy work. Their shawls are working garments, not evening wraps. 

Yeah, I know, it's easier to knit them top down, you don't have to worry about running out of yarn (if you do, you just stop and that's how long the shawl is). The problem is, at the end, you have all those stitches to bind off or put a lace edge on, and every row means you have more stitches IN the row. I like the idea of having fewer stitches to knit every row. Besides, most lace patterns are meant to be followed from the bottom up, and when you knit lace from the top down, the hearts are upside down, if you know what I'm saying here....

So here's the question: has anybody here knitted an 'authentic' Faroese shawl from the bottom up, and do you know of any patterns (preferably free, but at least 'downloadable?")


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## Joy Marshall (Apr 6, 2011)

You are right. They are knitted from the bottom up. I had ambitions to make one years ago and printed off a "formula" for one. I don't know if the site is still up. You can try it.
http://members.aol.com/CarolC2933Faroese Shawls.html

Let me know if you find it. It is very lengthy--the printing, I mean.


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## dianaiad (Feb 9, 2011)

Joy Marshall said:


> You are right. They are knitted from the bottom up. I had ambitions to make one years ago and printed off a "formula" for one. I don't know if the site is still up. You can try it.
> http://members.aol.com/CarolC2933Faroese Shawls.html
> 
> Let me know if you find it. It is very lengthy--the printing, I mean.


No, it's not still up...but if it's the lady I'm thinking of, her stuff hasn't been up for awhile. I thought I had downloaded and saved it way back when, but...evidently not!


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## Poledra65 (Jul 6, 2011)

I found this, I don't know if it will help you or not, but worth a look. 
http://blog.libertysyarn.com/mystery-shawl-pt-1/


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## dianaiad (Feb 9, 2011)

Poledra65 said:


> I found this, I don't know if it will help you or not, but worth a look.
> http://blog.libertysyarn.com/mystery-shawl-pt-1/


YES!

Thank you...and parts two and three are in her May archives, I found out!


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## Araciel (Apr 2, 2011)

Check kieranfoley.com.


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## gypsie (May 28, 2011)

I didn't know that's what those are called. I created my own, actually made several and sold them. I just started at the bottom by casting on about 20 stitches then added a stitch each row till I got it the size I wanted. Kind of like knitting a diagonal blanket. I love them because they stay on the shoulders and also tie easily because of the skinny ends.

Here is a pattern I just found

http://www.siskiyouknits.com/grannielinda/faroeseshawlmethod.htm


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## dianaiad (Feb 9, 2011)

gypsie said:


> I didn't know that's what those are called. I created my own, actually made several and sold them. I just started at the bottom by casting on about 20 stitches then added a stitch each row till I got it the size I wanted. Kind of like knitting a diagonal blanket. I love them because they stay on the shoulders and also tie easily because of the skinny ends.
> 
> Here is a pattern I just found
> 
> http://www.siskiyouknits.com/grannielinda/faroeseshawlmethod.htm


Thank you for finding that one!

She does end up with a Faroese shaped shawl....starting from the neck down.  I can see how attractive a prospect that is, too...I'll probably prefer the knit down method--most of the patterns for Faroese shawls seem to be top down.

I just wanted to try it the 'classic' way, once.


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## gypsie (May 28, 2011)

I knitted mine bottom up and didn't know what it was called. I named it ponytail shawl because I put a button hole in it to thread one end through. It's on this site.


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## Joy Marshall (Apr 6, 2011)

dianaiad said:


> gypsie said:
> 
> 
> > I didn't know that's what those are called. I created my own, actually made several and sold them. I just started at the bottom by casting on about 20 stitches then added a stitch each row till I got it the size I wanted. Kind of like knitting a diagonal blanket. I love them because they stay on the shoulders and also tie easily because of the skinny ends.
> ...


I do like patterns, though, that get smaller as you go along.


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## Wincelot (Dec 21, 2011)

I do something very 'ordinary' that produces a shawl as described, however, didn't know it had a history or a name. I begin with three cast on stitches on any size needle fitting the yarn I'm using up. The same row is repeated until I either run out of yarn or it fits fine. That row is, Slip one, knit one, increase in the next stitch and then knit across the row. Am actually doing one now and using the center to practice new and different stitches. I won't wear it in public but it is looking quite 'interesting'.


dianaiad said:


> I love Faroese shawls; those butterfly/bat winged ones that really do stay on your shoulders. The problem for me is that I want to try an 'authentic' one...and all I can find are patterns for knitting them 'top down.'
> 
> The ladies in the Faroese Islands knit them from the bottom up, solidly garter stitch with some fancy work on the center panel. That's if they bother with the fancy work. Their shawls are working garments, not evening wraps.
> 
> ...


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## Wincelot (Dec 21, 2011)

Oh, this is so cool.............Thank you..........


Joy Marshall said:


> dianaiad said:
> 
> 
> > gypsie said:
> ...


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## Karena (Jul 3, 2011)

Great questions. Not only did I learn about the shawl, but I looked up the Faroe Islands, a place I never heard of before. 
Isn't this site wholly educational. 
K


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## templetb (Mar 10, 2011)

http://www.schoolhousepress.com/lace.htm

You can order the book Bundanaurriklaedid from Schoolhouse Press. It comes with an English translation. This is a real Faroese book.
I used it to do the Birita shawl
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/templetb/birita

Be sure to read the introduction and the forward pages as they contain tips from Marilyn Van Kappel, the translator. I re-did the charts on my own graft paper because as with many European patterns, the chart says where to decrease, but not which decrease to do. I did my own copy and specified the K2tog and SSK so that I would not be puzzling over it when I was in the middle of the row.

Of course, I picked the most difficult shawl in the book to start with, but I learned a great deal and I am pleased with the result. This is knitted from the bottom up and it does feel good as the size of the rows shrink.


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## amudaus (Nov 8, 2011)

If you ever get the chance to go to the Faroe Islands you really dont want to miss it, it is beautiful and the people are the nicest you could wish to meet.


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## Karena (Jul 3, 2011)

That is great news. Nice people, maybe becasue they are isolated. The Baltic countries are muchthe same. 
I have flown from Finland to NYC and back many, many times. Always see only Greenland. It would certainly be an experience to see Faroe Is. and Iceland. 
K


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## Sorlenna (Feb 17, 2011)

I have a traditional Faroese shawl I made from the bottom up; it's in this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Folk-Shawls-knitting-patterns-Knitting/dp/1883010594

I was just thinking about making another one, in fact!


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## Augusta (Nov 26, 2011)

Ravelry site:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/faroese-shawl-4

Hope this helps!


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## dianaiad (Feb 9, 2011)

Wincelot said:


> I do something very 'ordinary' that produces a shawl as described, however, didn't know it had a history or a name. I begin with three cast on stitches on any size needle fitting the yarn I'm using up. The same row is repeated until I either run out of yarn or it fits fine. That row is, Slip one, knit one, increase in the next stitch and then knit across the row. Am actually doing one now and using the center to practice new and different stitches. I won't wear it in public but it is looking quite 'interesting'.


Faroese shawls are shaped differently; there is a center panel, and the sides are increased separately from that panel. There is additional shoulder shaping in the 'wings,' so that the final thing looks like a bat...or a butterfly, if 'bat' bugs you. when it is laid on a flat surface. The corners end up relatively narrow, so that they are easier to tie. The women in the Faroese Isles would cross them in front and tie them in back to stay warm, or use them as handy gathering 'nets,' over their heads, around their shoulders...great allpurpose warm garment that ends up being handier than a coat or sweater.

What I was looking for (and thank you, everybody) was two things; a pattern/instructions for doing a Faroese shawl from the bottom up, which is the traditional way of doing it, and a thread that gathers all the ideas about Faroese shawls into one place for those who might be looking. Thanks to all the neat knitters on this forum, we have it!

This is such a cool place to be.


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## Sorlenna (Feb 17, 2011)

dianaiad said:


> The corners end up relatively narrow, so that they are easier to tie. The women in the Faroese Isles would cross them in front and tie them in back to stay warm, or use them as handy gathering 'nets,' over their heads, around their shoulders...great allpurpose warm garment that ends up being handier than a coat or sweater.


I wear mine nearly every day when it's chilly, and I wrap it around and tie it in back to keep the ends out of the way. A very handy garment, indeed! I also love working from the bottom up so there are fewer stitches on each row as opposed to more...makes me feel I'm closer to being done. Ha!


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## dianaiad (Feb 9, 2011)

templetb said:


> http://www.schoolhousepress.com/lace.htm
> 
> You can order the book Bundanaurriklaedid from Schoolhouse Press. It comes with an English translation. This is a real Faroese book.
> I used it to do the Birita shawl
> ...


What a beautiful shawl!

Thank you...is it as gorgeous in 'real life' as it is in the pictures? I want to do it...or one as lovely. The problem is that I don't know who to give it to when I'm done. My mother doesn't want it; she claims that 'nobody wears those things." I don't think my daughters would, either.

Guess I'll just have to keep it. (snicker)


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## Sorlenna (Feb 17, 2011)

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/stora-dimun-shawl

This is the design I worked--though mine is a solid purple and a lot more worn and frazzled from several years of use now.


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## luv2nit2 (Dec 28, 2011)

You may want to review the Stahman's shawls and scarves book by Myrna Stahman. It has several Faroese shaped shawls and seamen's scarves.


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## Nanimal (Dec 14, 2011)

I suppose if you know what you want to do, and depending on the intricacy of the pattern, you can do your shawls top down or bottom up. I do the basic triangle bottom up, with a yo increase on each end to create the holes for the fringes. It's just the easiest to do without a pattern...I made a shawl in the veeeeeery far distant past that was vertically 3 colors...I knit two triangles and joined them in the middle with a gusset, and even did a little neck and shoulder shaping to create a cowl collar...I didn't know this was a faroese...I gave that shawl away.

I will most definitely look for faroese patterns as I prefer the shoulder shaping in a pattern to the rather mediocre job I made up. Thankks for sharing this.


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## templetb (Mar 10, 2011)

dianaiad said:


> templetb said:
> 
> 
> > http://www.schoolhousepress.com/lace.htm
> ...


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## dianaiad (Feb 9, 2011)

templetb said:


> dianaiad said:
> 
> 
> > templetb said:
> ...


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## templetb (Mar 10, 2011)

Yes. That's it. There is also one for Islandic shawls that is also really nice. I have not seen it anywhere else.


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## SilverWeb (Aug 20, 2011)

There is a pattern on Knit Picks called "Estrella Faroese Style Shawl" that is knitted from the bottome up. Unfortunately it is not a free pattern but I think it only cost $1.99.


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## gypsie (May 28, 2011)

This is it in a nut shell, I made one without the gusset, it stays on and can be tied in front or back.

http://www.siskiyouknits.com/grannielinda/faroeseshawlmethod.htm


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## luv2nit2 (Dec 28, 2011)

luv2nit2 said:


> You may want to review the Stahman's shawls and scarves book by Myrna Stahman. It has several Faroese shaped shawls and seamen's scarves.


The book has 152 pages of shawls and scarves, it has the history and just a wonderful all round book. I paid $30.


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## Della (Jun 17, 2011)

dianaiad said:


> I love Faroese shawls; those butterfly/bat winged ones that really do stay on your shoulders. The problem for me is that I want to try an 'authentic' one...and all I can find are patterns for knitting them 'top down.'
> 
> The ladies in the Faroese Islands knit them from the bottom up, solidly garter stitch with some fancy work on the center panel. That's if they bother with the fancy work. Their shawls are working garments, not evening wraps.
> 
> ...


http://www.siskiyouknits.com/grannielinda/faroeseshawlmethod.htm
I am not sure if this site will answer your question or not but it is one I saved....Della


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## AnnagM (Oct 31, 2013)

It's likely that a nearby library has a copy of Cheryl Oberle's book _Folk_Shawls_. She has two traditionally constructed (bottom up) Faroese shawl patterns in the book. The Interweave website has posted corrections for the pattern(s) if the copy of the book you find was an early printing.


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## kittygritty (Mar 2, 2015)

dianaiad said:


> YES!
> 
> Thank you...and parts two and three are in her May archives, I found out!


The site deadended "not found" for me. Dianaiad, do you have a link you could post? Thanks.


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## KitKat789 (May 17, 2016)

dianaiad said:


> I love Faroese shawls; those butterfly/bat winged ones that really do stay on your shoulders. The problem for me is that I want to try an 'authentic' one...and all I can find are patterns for knitting them 'top down.'
> 
> The ladies in the Faroese Islands knit them from the bottom up, solidly garter stitch with some fancy work on the center panel. That's if they bother with the fancy work. Their shawls are working garments, not evening wraps.
> 
> ...


Do your own search! Why should we waste our valuable time doing YOUR work?


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## kittygritty (Mar 2, 2015)

KitKat789 said:


> Do your own search! Why should we waste our valuable time doing YOUR work?


Seriously, KitKat? Are you speaking to me? I've been looking for half an hour, for your information, and I've had no luck. So I politely asked a fellow KPer to help me out. If you'd rather be rude to KPers instead of helpful perhaps you might consider moving to a different forum. I help search for items all the time to try to help people. It's what makes this forum so great.


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## dianaiad (Feb 9, 2011)

kittygritty said:


> The site deadended "not found" for me. Dianaiad, do you have a link you could post? Thanks.


Not any more, kitty....this was quite an old post and the site is doing a 'not found' notice for me, too. I'm sorry.


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## kittygritty (Mar 2, 2015)

dianaiad said:


> Not any more, kitty....this was quite an old post and the site is doing a 'not found' notice for me, too. I'm sorry.


Apology accepted. Thank you. :sm01:


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## DaphneW85 (Nov 5, 2019)

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