Bean Nighe Shawl

Bean Nighe (ben- neeya) is an enveloping, hauntingly beautiful, top-down crescent-shaped shawl with an i-cord edge and picot border. The textured body stitches interchange with lace sections, making it both an interesting and easy-going knit with memorable stitch combinations. Its generous size allows it to be draped around one in many different ways. 


This design was born of a time when I found myself unable to communicate or even fully realize the grief I was experiencing. Through my search for a way to express myself, I found kinship in the folklore of the Bean Nighe, the Scottish phantom prophetess, who would sing of grief and misfortune. To encounter a Bean Nighe was said to be terrifying; however, she is known to grant wishes and her protection to those who gain her favour. The Bean Nighe (like her Irish cousin the Banshee) is often described as wearing or holding the burial shrouds of those who are about to perish.