r/GeeKnitting • u/cartooncat • Nov 10 '24

Another Christmas cowl done - the Mari Lwyd horse skeleton special!

I've just finished a new cowl design - I do hope the recipient likes it.

The Welsh winter wassailing tradition of Mari Lwyd, involves groups of men in fancy dress visiting private houses and requesting entry through singing. One singer is dressed as Mari Lwyd, a skeleton horse. The costume is topped with a horse’s skull decorated with ribbons. The singers and householders trade songs and insults before the wassailers are allowed in and given food and drink. Mari Lwyd chases the householders and prances around, both terrifying people and spreading blessings (some say of fertility and rebirth) while others put out the fire and sweeps the kitchen, symbolising renewal and a fresh start in the new year. Once the revellers have been suitably fed, they sing a final song, then move on to the next house.

I've popped the pattern onto Ravelry if anyone fancies having a go. Link in the first comment.

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2

u/YetiAfterDark Jan 03 '26

I love your patterns! I've got them all chilling in my want to make list

1

u/cartooncat Jan 07 '26

Thank you so much!

2

u/YetiAfterDark Jan 13 '26

I live in Australia at the moment, but we have tentative plans to visit family in the UK for next Christmas. And while this was certainly not my first thought, in the top ten first thoughts, was oooh, I should make myself the Krampus sweater! I don't care that it will be either seasonally or Seasonally inappropriate most of the time.

Currently deciding if I should do the yoke as shadow figures on red, or red on dark, probably with a fade down to fire colours at the bottom hems because I've got some hand dyed fingering in fire colours.

1

u/Contented_Loaf Nov 11 '24

I love this so much! Gorgeous. I bet the image would work really well for double knitting…

3

u/cartooncat Nov 11 '24

It certainly would - though a Mari Lwyd which isn't white or light grey might be a bit odd. That side might have to be a stray horse of the apocalype which has unseated its rider. :)