A hap is a Scottish dialect word for a simple shawl or wrap. Haps have a particular association with the Shetland islands where, for more than a century, they were knitted for everyday wear as well as for sale. Join Kate Davies, Jen Arnall-Culliford and a host of renowned designers as they introduce you to the wonderful world of haps. Combining textile history with contemporary design, this book explores the story of the hap through five beautifully illustrated essays, and 13 stunning patterns.

While the first part of the book looks to the past for inspiration, exploring the many different contexts in which haps were made and worn, the book’s second half acts as a springboard to the future, as designers from around the world present their own interpretations of the hap. From Nevada and Finland to Reyjavik, and Burra Isle, the patterns in these pages are as distinctive and varied as their designers’ locales.

Haps may well surprise you: they can be square, triangular, or hexagonal, incorporating lace, cables, or colour. Though haps are, by definition, functional, wearable textiles, you’ll find they can also be elegant and fascinating, graphic and abstract. Whatever your knitterly interests, you’ll find the Book of Haps an endless source of inspiration and a canvas for your creativity.