Vision and Colorblindness Accessibility: This pattern includes an extra PDF that is written in 24 point sans serif font (Arial) in all black text on white background. It has no italics. All of the directions are fully written out and tested using VoiceOver. There are charts on the last two pages in the extra PDF which have symbols for the stitches and repeats that are in only black and grey scale.

Size: one size ~ 12” x 78” (from tip to tip after blocking)

Color A: Always Be Kind Yarn Merino/Alpaca/Silk (lavender and green speckle) 200 yd / 1.75 oz (183m / 50g) fingering weight
Color B: Always Be Kind Yarn Merino/Alpaca/Silk (sage) 200 yd / 1.75 oz (183m / 50g) fingering weight
Color C: Always Be Kind Yarn Merino/Alpaca/Silk (lavender) 150 yd / 1.30 oz (137m / 37.5g) fingering weight
Color D: Always Be Kind Yarn Merino/Alpaca/Silk (green) 200 yd / 1.75 oz (183m / 50g) fingering weight

Knitting Needles:
Size US 6 (4 mm)

Gauge: 27 sts x 26 rows = 4” (10 cm) in stockinette after blocking

Pattern notes:
While recently attending a study group with some of my good friends, I would sometimes wear my Helen’s Heart shawl, which has a section with a quote from Helen Keller knit in Braille using bobbles and eyelets. The study was written by an amazing woman, Jennifer Rothschild, and it was about the 23rd Psalm, a well-known passage in Scripture:

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.”

The interesting thing about Jennifer is that she became blind as a young woman, but she continues to write studies and teach publicly despite the difficulties inherent with visual impairment. One of my friends in my study group suggested that I design a shawl for Jennifer based on our study in the Psalms. And that is how this Green Pastures shawl was born!

The shawl is a parallelogram in shape and is knit from end to end, starting with relaxing “still waters” garter stitch. After the garter section, there is a field of “green pastures” cabled lace. The middle section of the shawl contains the Braille knitting, which reads “The Lord is my shepherd”. The “green pastures” and “still waters” are then repeated once again to complete the piece.