Waldeinsamkeit = one of those untranslatable words; its definitions so wonderfully specific or complex enough that, when translated into another language, they require numerous words to express the same idea. In this case, the German word combines Wald (“wood”) and Einsamkeit (“loneliness”). Together, it literally translates to “solitude in the forest,” but that literal translation loses the word’s poetry.

I’m most happy with life when I’m surrounded by nature, especially when walking through the woods, soaking up the ancient energy of the trees. Taking the time to slow things down and look, feel, smell and consciously embrace nature. I feel centered, balanced and nurtured when I’m enveloped by trees.

How It’s Made

This top-down constructed crescent shaped shawl features squishy garter stitch sections interspersed with leaves and finished off with the word “woodland” as a lace stitch pattern created by Naomi Parkhurst. She has a unique technique of encoding words as numbers and then charting these. Learn more about her fascinating process here.

About the Designer: Linette Grayum

Linette learned to knit and crochet when she was young, both in school and from her grandmother and mother. She recently picked it back up and has been crafting and designing ever since, pushing her experience and knowledge with every project.

She crafts mostly outdoors—hiking, rock climbing and camping—and finds her inspirations there. Find her at: https://www.ravelry.com/designers/linette-grayum-designs.