Welcome to Stacey Namaste Designs. This shawl is part of my Finding Joy series. ”Joy is not a constant. It comes to us in moments - often ordinary moments. Sometimes we miss out on the bursts of joy because we’re too busy chasing down the extraordinary moments.” ~Brené Brown. This series was inspired in order to help us recognize the joy in the little things and ordinary moments that too often pass us by.

This asymmetrical fringed triangle shawl is designed to provide the maker agency, choice, and variation - you can use any yarns, any size, any color schemes. For tips on styling, visit this site: 10 ways to style an asymmetrical shawl

This design, the Joyous NOLA Shawl, was inspired by a short getaway to New Orleans in which I had several adventures walking around all of the parts of New Orleans. Being in New Orleans was an experience blending fascination, history, culture, music, cuisine, beauty, and heartbreak. The wonder of short getaways like the one my husband and I took right before Thanksgiving provided the “joy fuel” needed to make it through the demanding holidays. We explored the French Quarter, the Garden District, Downtown, and the Riverfront. We took historical tours and ghost tours, and the entire visit was magical.

The photographed example uses a lovely variegated rose-red-purple yarn in an extra fine merino (fingering weight) from Ella Rae, color 142. I used 100 g, all of the skein, Needle size 4. The colors remind me of the colorful history and glory, bloodshed and loss, life and music of NOLA. The zigzag design represents our on-foot wanderings all around the city, and it was also the look of the Mississippi River from the airplane upon our arrival. The lovely mesh looking sides along each of the short triangle sides add a beautiful unique look. There are two main stitches - ZigZag on a stockinette background and Garter. These can be alternated as desired. Each row ends in the mesh edging, then you add a matching edging before you bind off.