Ferdia Cowl

The Ferdia Cowl is part of my Ardee Collection. This four-piece collection is inspired by the battle between Cú Chulainn and Ferdia in the Irish epic Táin Bó Cúailnge (“Cattle Raid of Cooley”). The entire collection uses super chunky yarn and Celtic motifs to depict the two warriors and the landscape. The motif here, drawn from Melissa Leapman’s Cables Untangled, captures Ferdia’s fierceness as a warrior, his magical skin which could not be pierced, and the millstone he wore on the last day of battle in an effort to protect himself from Cú Chulainn’s dreaded spear, the Gae Bolga.

Worked in the round on US15/10mm circular needles, this cowl works up quickly to create a piece fitting of Ferdia, who was initially reluctant to battle his former foster brother Cú Chulainn. This pattern contains both written and charted instructions.