The Shawl – the wrap of love

But the making isn’t the only thing I love about the shawl. I have always loved making blankets for my family because I imagine they are the equivalent of me wrapping my arms around my loved ones, it keeps them warm and envelops them in my love. The shawl brings the same feeling – it really is a wrap of love.

The shawl, the perfect spring project.

I have just discovered the beauty, variety, creativity and sheer delight of making and wearing a shawl. Ok the shawl has literally been around forever and traverses most cultures throughout history but yes, I have only recently discovered it.

It is believed that the shawl or pashmina came from Kashmir but originated in Persia but they can be found in Indian, Tibetan, European and English history. The shawl is also known as a pashmina or kar Amir, Do-Shalla, Namda and Gabba, Kashmir shawl and stole. They can be warm and woolly for winter but also lacy and light for summer, they can be practical and solid but also elegant and glamorous.

I have always been a bit daunted by the shawl and have admired them from a far and believed I couldn’t make anything quite that complex. They seem so beautiful and fine. They appeared to require the perfect drape so they floated around the wearer.

But recently I overcame my fear and started on my first ever shawl. It wasn’t as complex as I imagined and it made up very quickly. This experience has inspired me and I can’t believe what I’ve been missing for so long. So now I am knitting and crocheting as many shawls as my imagination can produce.

We currently have a range of beautiful natural yarns – perfect for spring or summer shawls to put over your shoulders on a cool evening.