I created this design after finishing all of my holiday knitting for the year. After everything I’m making for gifts is off the needles, blocked, and ends woven in, I like to sit back and relax with a purely self-indulgent project. I pulled out some yarn that I was saving for a special project – a skein of Miss Babs Yowza and a trio of minis for contrast – and started brainstorming. After flipping through some stitch dictionaries for inspiration, I decided to mix a textural lace stitch with panels of garter stitch and mosaic colorwork. Finally, I decided to work it on the bias just to keep things interesting, and this design was born.

I named the wrap after the herb valerian root as a callback to the plant motif in the lace, but also because the root Latin word valere means to be worthy, healthy, and to prevail. I hope that these words apply to anyone who wears it.
Valerian is a very versatile garment. It can be worn draped around the shoulders as an elegant wrap, or as a cozy scarf around the neck when the temperature drops. Because it is worked in DK weight and the lace sections are broken up by simple garter stitch, it practically flies off the needles.

I chose to work mine up in a neutral main color and beautiful jewel tones that remind me of fall, but the possibilities are endless! I would love to see this with a dark main color and lighter contrasts, or even a bright main color and more neutral contrasts.

Yarn
Miss Babs Yowza (100% Superwash Merino; 560yd/512m per 225g skein) - 1 skein (Shown in Oyster)
Miss Babs Yowza Mini (100% Superwash Merino; 200yd/182m per 80g skein) - 1 skein of each in 3 different colors (Shown in Aubergine, Franklin, and Cumin)

The sample uses approximately 450 yds/410m of MC and 165 yds/150m of each CC. For a project using 6 different CCs, you would need approx. 85 yards/80 m per color. When choosing colors, make sure that the MC has enough contrast with each CC so that the mosaic pattern shows up. Variegated or speckled colorways would work for the MC (and the garter sections will show off the yarn beautifully) as long as there is enough contrast with CCs. The CCs should all be solid or semi-solid colorways, because the lace will not show up as well with a variegated colorway, and they should not be too dark or the lace pattern will get lost.