Caleta Tortuga Negra means “Black Turtle Cove”. It’s a shady, mangrove-fringed inlet on the coast of Santa Cruz island in the Galapagos, safe and shallow for young turtles, sharks and rays, which glide lazily under visitors’ dinghies and around the mangrove roots. The cool green leaves and straight roots of the mangrove trees inspired this versatile little shawl, with an overall shape of a gently flapping ray.

I’ve knitted the shawl in a laceweight yarn, Organic Lace Merino by Tall Yarns ‘n Tales, which I dyed using Helen Deighan’s easy-peasy microwave dye, also available from Tall Yarns, in Spring Green. In a laceweight it’s a light little shawl, which can be worn as a shoulder shawl or a neckerchief; but you could make a warmer, larger autumn or winter piece with sock or even DK weight yarn. The pattern repeats are simple and easy to memorise, making this an ideal project to take with you on the move; the relatively plain, geometric pattern means that (maybe worn kerchief-style) this could even suit an adventurous man!

The pattern has now been fully tested and the new, improved version is now available! Many thanks to my fabulous testers - any mistakes remaining are mine alone, please pm me if you spot any!

The photographs, by the way, are taken at The Banqueting House, where we stayed on holiday - find out more from The Landmark Trust.