The Hansel Hap pattern uses Spindrift by Jamieson's of Shetland and offers both half hap and full hap options, providing a traditional Shetland knitting experience. You'll get to experiment with different techniques, play with color, and feel connected to Shetland as you knit!

What is a "hap" you ask? A hap is simply a wrap designed to keep you warm. Traditional Shetland haps are square-shaped with a center panel surrounded by (typically) "old shell" lace. If you search for Shetland Haps you'll often see them blocking on special frames designed to bring out the beauty of the intricate lace. While they have been made in all sizes and thicknesses throughout history, there are many examples of stunning lace weight haps often used during christenings that true works of art.

Schedule & Participation

The KAL begins July 15 and runs through August 30. To officially participate in the event you'll need to:

🧶  Follow @Simply_Shetland on Instagram.
🧶  Purchase the pattern from Ravelry or Payhip.
🧶  Choose your colors and order your Jamieson's of Shetland Spindrift yarn.
🧶  Use #HanselHapKAL and tag @Simply_Shetland when posting photos.

Pattern

You can purchase the pattern on Ravelry or Payhip. The cost is $8.00, and you can use the code hanselhapkal for 20% off on either site. The pattern includes two PDF files that provide instruction for the full, square-shaped wrap as well as the half, triangular-shaped wrap. Both versions are written for three different sizes. 

Materials

With so many options built into the Hansel Hap pattern, yarn requirements will vary by choice of shape and size. The half size, triangular shaped wrap uses 5-7 balls of yarn while the full size, square shaped wrap uses 10-14 balls.

Spindrift comes in hundreds of gorgeous colors, and we know you'll be able to find the perfect palette for your wrap! If you need some inspiration, designer Gudrun Johnston has three colorways she loves.

Colorway 1: MC Purple Heather, CC1 Pebble, CC2 Ivy,
CC3 Yellow Ochre, CC4 Laurel

Colorway 2: MC Salmon, CC1 Eucalyptus, CC2 Lichen,
CC3 Flame, CC4 Flax

Community

The official knit along is happening on Instagram only, but there are many ways to enjoy working on this project with knitters around the world.

🧶  Use and/or follow the hashtag #HanselHapKAL.
🧶  Join the discussion in Gudrun Johnston's Ravelry group.
🧶  Bring your hap to Community Night on Thursdays from 6:00-8:00pm.
🧶  Join our MFY Privatre Make Along group on Facebook.

Assistance

If you need a little help along the way, we encourage you to sign up for a Bring Your Own Project session with one of our talented instructors! They can guide you through whatever challenge you're facing!

We also have a wide selection of video tutorials available on MFY+ (our YouTube channel) that are available 24/7! Can't find a video for a topic you need? Let us know! We are always creating new tutorials and would love to know what you need!

Here are a few tutorials that we thought may be helpful for this particular project:

🧶  Garter Stitch
🧶  K2tog Decrease
🧶  Placing & Slipping Markers
🧶  Knitting & Purling Through the Back Loop

Prizes

There will be one grand prize and two smaller prizes awarded at the conclusion of the knit along. To qualify for KAL prizes you need to:

🧶  Use only Jamieson's of Shetland yarn in your project.
🧶  Be following @Simply_Shetland on Instagram.
🧶  Submit your finished Hansel Hap project via the form at this link.

The deadline for submitting your finished project is August 30, 2024 at 11:59pm Pacific Time. Winners will be selected randomly and announced on September 5th.

Designer

Gudrun Johnston is a Shetland born, US-based knitwear designer and brand designer for Simply Shetland. She is also part of Knit Stars Season 9 where she is teaching a class called "Modern Shetland: A Current Take on Lace, Colorwork, and Shetland Wool." Her colors are often inspired by the natural beauty of Shetland, and she marries tradition with modern methods seamlessly. 

Find more of Gudrun's designs on Ravelry and Payhip. You can also follow her on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

As you work on your project, we would love if you share your progress by tagging us on Instagram and/or Facebook @michiganfineyarns and using our project hashtags #michiganfineyarns #MFYkal. You can also join us during Community Nights Thursdays from 6:00-8:00pm