Are you ready to meet our second Celtic Knits Club 2026 pattern?
Here to introduce the Fiar Scarf and tell us more about its conception and development is Irish designer Eimear Earley.
If after reading this post you would like to join us, the Celtic Knits Club Digital option is available here.
Words By Eimear Earley
This year’s Celtic Knits Club theme of Aran Evolution had me rooting through my own books, and pouring over online archives. I wanted to look at the earliest examples of Aran knitting, and consider how the techniques, style and motifs used would have changed over the years.
I spent some time delving into the online archives of the National Museum of Ireland, and the National Library. I was struck by the difference in the examples, knit in the 1940s and held in the National Museum, when compared to commercially photographed Aran knits, being marketed to consumers from the 1950s on to the 1980s and beyond.
I’ve come to think of Aran knitting to use all over patterns, using multiple motifs in the same object (cables and textures), and often using quite wide, bold cables.
The 1940s museum examples have surprisingly delicate stitch motifs. For my first design for this year’s Club, I’ve taken inspiration from a 1940s example, but have used quite wide cable motifs. The wider cable motifs are really well suited to the Blasta yarn-its woollen spun texture gives great definition in bold cables.
The Fiar Scarf
The Fiar Scarf (Irish for slant, bias, tilt, pronounced like ‘fear’ or ‘fee-ar’ depending on dialect) is inspired by diagonal stitch details Aran pullover, knit in the 1940s, and selected to represent Aran knitting in New York’s MOMA exhibition in 2018.
The garment as you can see is covered with varied stitch patterns, including lace, cables and textures. My attention was captured on the front panel (or perhaps or the back-it’s not obvious). This features bobbles and diagonal lines worked in lacey open stitches. The lace stitches are bordered by panels of trellis cables-more diagonal motifs.
The Fiar scarf translates these diagonal lace motifs and trellis cables into diagonal cable motifs,worked over a background of reverse stocking stitch.
The diagonal lines are symmetrical, and make use of cable flourishes to introduce a change of direction within the diagonal lines. The main diagonal motifs are bordered by rope cable and broken ribbing, which helps to stabilise the fabric and reduce curling at the edges.
Pattern Details
SIZES
One Size
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Length: 72″ / 183 cm
Width: 10.5” / 27 cm
YARN
Stolen Stitches ‘Blasta’ (60% Irish wool, 40% New Zealand wool, 232 yds / 212 m per 3.53 oz / 100g); colour: Ailm; 3 skeins
Approximate Yardage: 654 yds / 598 m
NEEDLES & NOTIONS
US size 7 / 4.5 mm straight or circular needles, any length, for working flat.
Always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed, as every knitter’s gauge is unique.
(Optional) removable markers, tapestry needle, cable needle.
GAUGE
22 sts and 26 rows = 4″/ 10 cm in Broken Rib, after blocking
46 st Cable Panels = 7.25” / 18.5 cm wide at widest point, after blocking
Join The Club
The Fiar Scarf is created with our Stolen Stitches ‘Blasta’ yarn in the colour Ailm, which is exclusive to our Celtic Knits Club 2026 members. It’s a deliciously dark forest green with heathered hues of grass green, orange and yellow to create a depth and vibrancy unique to this yarn.
The second yarn option is the Blasta colour ‘Bark’ that is a rich, deep brown that adds depth and warmth to the cables.
These yarns are available to all Celtic Knits Club digital or full club members so if you would like to join us and pick up all the club patterns, workshops, and zoom live recordings head to our digital club here.
MEET OUR FEATURE DESIGNER
Eimear Earley lives in Dublin, Ireland, with two small humans and a supportive spouse. Eimear originally learned to knit as a schoolchild, dabbling with leftovers of yarn and absolutely no concept of gauge or ease during her teenage years. After spending her student years playing with molten glass, she now gets her creative kicks from knitting and spinning wool—much more practical pursuits. Eimear loves to reinterpret old Irish things into modern knitwear, from ancient gold artifacts to less ancient cable knitting.
Stay up to date with all of Eimear’s designs and publications here.