While hiking through the Rocky Mountains near where I live in Colorado, USA, my mind fills with the textures, colors, and shapes of the forests, rocks, and sky.  I am inspired by these natural shapes and landscapes to create my knitting designs.  The Heartwood Shawl was inspired by the bark and wood of ponderosa pine trees, which cover the hillsides near my home (and make the air smell like vanilla).  The overall design is simple, but with engaging details that keep you interested and make for a classic, high quality garment.  Its shape is perfect to wrap around your shoulders while sitting in front of the fire with snow falling outside, walking to a neighbor’s house in autumn, or standing on your porch on an early spring morning.  While I see bark in the lace design, I can also imagine it resembling moss-covered stones, misty forests, or frost patterns on glass.

You will need approx. 400 yards each of two different yarns. (I used a fade set for the second, lace color.) You will also need a circular knitting needle of about 40” since the shawl’s length grows quickly!

Finished size: 58” wide, 24” depth