Contemporary Hap

Contemporary Hap by Michael Harrigan

What is Being Made

Contemporary Hap is a square knitted shawl design that reimagines the traditional Scottish and Northern English hap. The finished shawl measures 42 inches across and 59.5 inches diagonally, making it a generous wrap suitable for layering or draping. This design honors the historical meaning of "hap" as a wrap or cover while introducing a modern construction method that sets it apart from traditional approaches.

Construction Method and Techniques

The defining characteristic of this contemporary design is its center-out construction. Rather than following the traditional method of knitting the edging first and then picking up stitches to work the body, Michael Harrigan's design begins at the center and works outward, with the edging becoming an integral continuation of the shawl rather than a separate applied piece. This approach creates a unified, seamless aesthetic while maintaining the classic square shawl silhouette.

The shawl incorporates twelve distinct colors of tweedy fingering-weight yarn, each color used in a single skein. The color palette includes: Campion, Horseback Brown, Gloamin', Lochan, Bruce, Garth, Buckthorn, Ardlui, Smirr, Stockiemuir, Birkin, and Hirst. The use of multiple colors throughout the design creates visual interest and depth, with the tweedy texture of the yarn adding subtle variation and character to the finished piece.

Stitches and Stitch Work

While specific stitch abbreviations are not detailed in the available pattern information, the design is classified as an advanced-level knitting project, indicating the use of sophisticated stitch techniques appropriate for experienced knitters. The center-out construction method typically employs increases strategically placed to shape the expanding square, and the integration of the edging suggests the use of refined finishing techniques.

Materials and Tools

Yarn: The project uses Kate Davies Designs MILARROCHY TWEED, a 70% wool and 30% mohair blend. The yarn is classified as Super Fine weight (also known as fingering weight), with each 25-gram skein providing 109 yards. Twelve skeins total are required—one skein in each of the twelve colorways—making this a project that showcases color work and yarn blending.

Needles: The pattern requires Size 3 (3.25mm) needles in multiple configurations: a set of five double-pointed needles, a 16-inch circular needle, and a 32-inch circular needle. This variety of needle types accommodates the different stages of the shawl's construction, from the center increases worked on double-pointed needles to the expanding body worked on progressively larger circular needles.

Skill Level

Contemporary Hap is designed for experienced knitters with an advanced skill level. The center-out construction, color management across twelve yarns, and sophisticated shaping techniques require solid foundational knowledge and comfort with complex pattern reading.