Well, first of all, the Fika shawl is now available to buy on Ravelry. It is the first of five accessory patterns that make up the Hygge collection - a collaboration with Midwinter Yarns.
Fika is the Swedish word for 'taking a break from the fast-paced world and hang out with friends (or yourself) over a cup of coffee and watch the world go by'. I bet having a word like 'fika' makes Twitter conversations a lot easier.
But releasing a pattern all about slowing down and allowing yourself to breathe is .. well, it strikes me as deeply ironic. The past three weeks have been hectic - even by my usual standards. I have been hard at work on this collection, magazine commissions, various future collaborations, and some overdue design work as well as writing/giving a paper at the knitting conference In the Loop (among other things - it was rather full-on!). I had two hours off yesterday and they felt amazing.
I cannot wait until I get a chance to grab my friends and head out for a really relaxing fika - maybe at the local Swedish cafe? That would be fantastic.
Anyway.
The Fika shawl is knitted in two hanks of Ohut Pirkkalanka - or Thin Pirkkalanka. It's a fine-weight Finnish pure wool yarn - Ravelry calls it as 3ply/light fingering. I'd call it a heavy lace with a nice grip. The yarn is heathered and only blooms slightly when you block the shawl. I like it a whole lot and am curious if anybody knows what the '100% wool" covers? I could swear there was a bit of Gotland in there, but I am not an expert.
The next pattern in the collection is out next week. And the next is out the following week etc. But for now you can buy Fika (or the Hygge collection if you want to save money) on Ravelry. I am off to find some coffee and maybe ten minutes of quiet solitude.