Huldran
Huldran, or Skogsrået is a seductive temptress in Scandinavian folklore. She is a beautiful woman who lives in the forests, and that tempt young men to follow her into the woods. Seen from the front, she is beautiful, but seen from the back, she has either a tail or a hollow back looking like a rotten tree trunk, depending on the story.
Once upon a time, there was a married man. He went out into the woods to look for some lost cows and he met the huldra. He was tempted and went with her, and spent every evening after that with her. But after some time it was too much for him, quite draining and exhausting, as he could never resist her. He became so exhausted from their trysts, he could barely walk. He did not know what to do. Once when he saw the huldra, she asked what might be troubling him. He answered that he had a problem with one of his bulls – all the bull ever did was to mount the cows and he just wouldn’t stop. By now the bull is completely wiped out. She told him that tibast and vandelrot would do the trick. When the man got home he got some tibast and vandelrot and put it in his pocket. When he went to meet the huldra the next evening she cried out “Tibast and vandelrot is sure; fie on me for telling the cure!” And then she turned around and disappeared. And the man was safe.
Huldran is a triangular shawl, featuring lace and cables. The centre spine can be continued into an optional tail, representing the tail of the Huldra.
The shawl is knit from the neck down. The pattern is charted, and there is some lace patterning on the wrong-side rows near the edging.
$8.00
Finished measurements: wingspan: 138 cm (52″), height: 69 cm (27″), not including the tail. Size is adjustable in pattern
Yarn: 500 yds of Serenity Silk from Zen Yarn Garden (80% merino, 10% silk, 10% cashmere – 500 yds/457 m per 100 g) in Queen Bee or similar colour Needles: 4.5 mm needles
It is available in downloadable pdf-format in English and French (you will receive 2 pdfs – 1 in each language).
