One of my most beloved films to watch is called “The Secret of Roan Inish". It is a lovely story based on a wonderful folk tale about the gray seals of the north Atlantic. In places such as the Orkney Isles in Scotland, and the west of Ireland the people once believed in Selkies, creatures that were at once both human and seal. Imbued with allsorts of magical powers these creatures played a strong role in the lives of people who depended on the sea for their livelihood. It was said in some places that if a man could capture a Selkie woman as his wife he would become a prolific fisherman, as so his children would also be. In order to marry a Selkie you must first take her seal skin. Oft times you find that a Selkie that has taken off her skin to sun on the beach as a human, it is at this moment the man must cautiously find his way to the skin, and take it. Once the skin is in his possession, so is she. It is then she is compelled to marry the man, and spend her life on land until she can take back her seal skin and find her way back to the sea forever. I must admit when I began to knit this shawl I was only inspired to experiment with different construction techniques to create a triangular shawl. But it wasn't until I was trying to find ways to wear the shawl that I came across the inspiration for the name. First I tied in the front, then I pinned it, finally I threw it over my shoulders and tied it in the back as if it were a shrug. It was in this last configuration that I found it fit like a perfectly snug second skin and the Selkies immediately sprang to my mind. It is perfect for a spring or fall outer layer and due to its simplicity it could be worn to dress up an outfit or for comfort when you are dressed down. I hope you come to love this shawl and Selkies as much as I do. Photo credit [model: E.A. Kelley/photographer: S. Benesch]
SIZE One-size
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Length: 111 inches Height: 24 inches
MATERIALS
Cascade Yarns Quarto [100% Peruvian highland wool; 220yd per 100g skein]; color: 9435; 2 skeins 29 length-inch US #6/4.25mm circular needle Rowcounter Tapestry needle 6 orange lamp work beads (or anything you would like that would add ballast) GAUGE 18 sts/24 rows $=$ 4" in stockinette stitch
PATTERN First I-chord
CO 3 stitches, leaving a 6" tail. Move to the other end of the needle and knit. Cont doing this until the I-chord is 10" long. Triangle 1 R1: move to the other end of the needle, k2, yo, knit even R2: purl even R3: k2, yo, knit even R4: purl even Rep rows 3 and 4 until there are 90 stitches on the needle
Middle
Knit even for 3 rows R1: purl even R2: k2, yo, k2, yo, k2, yo, knit even R3: purl even to the last 17 stitches, p2tog 3 times, purl even Knit even for 3 rows
Triangle 2
R1: purl even R2: k2, yo, k1, ssk 2 times, knit even R3: purl even Rep rows 2 and 3 until there are 6 stitches on the needle. R1: k2, yo, k1, sl, ssk, psso R2: purl even R3: k2, yo, sl, ssk, psso R4: purl even R5: k2, ssk R6: purl even
Second I-chord
R7: knit even & move to the other end of the needle Cont row 7 until your I-chord is 10" long, and BO. Leave a $6^{\,\circ}$ tail.
FINISHING
To finish, block shawl to a triangular shape with a $\mathbf{24}^{\mathfrak{s}}$ height for the center of the triangle, a 71" length for base of the triangle without I-chords and a 1" blunted edge at the point of the triangle. Thread beads to the ends of the I-chord and tie Off.
