Perhaps you saw the word ‘Idris’ in the title and thought this would be a post celebrating the handsome British actor Idris Elba. If so, I’m sorry to dash your hopes. This post features ‘Caer Idris,’ the second knitting pattern from designer Ysolda Teague’s 2015 Shawl Club.

Like my first shawl club installment, the Caer Idris package arrived from Scotland wrapped in bright yellow paper, including a custom-dyed British yarn, an exclusive knitting pattern, and a postcard illustrating the inspiration for the project. Designer Ysolda Teague explains the Welsh origins of the design:

The late dusk sky was the inspiration for the colourway. Idris was a legendary Welsh astronomer and giant, famous for watching the stars from his ‘chair’ at Cader Idris. The idea of a Welsh ‘Kenning’ for the dusk sky caught my mutt Welsh/Anglo Saxon imagination, hence ‘Caer Idris,’ which means ‘The Fortress of Idris’ in Welsh.

The yarn is a lush kettle-dyed silk/merino blend from Triskelion, with exquisitely subtle shadings of color.

I managed to get the yarn onto the swift and wind it up easily enough, but the rest of this shawl pattern proved to be a challenge for me. Knitting Caer Idris was simultaneously boring and fiddly, and not nearly as fun as the first Shawl Club pattern. But I am Not a Quitter, so I resolutely knitted away for several evenings, while watching my husband defeat hideous orcs in Shadow of Mordor.

The finished scarf is long and snake-like, with a loopy border and asymmetrical curves. Very modern, which means it’s not quite my style. Frankly, it looks better on Dulcinea than it does on me. This may be heresy, and it might get me thrown out of Ysolda’s Shawl Club, but I’m going to unravel the entire thing. The fabric frogs fairly easily, and I’m sure I’ll find another use for the beautiful Triskelion yarn. Speaking of unraveling, my next post contains some happy news.