When I was 37 years old, I was on vacation with my family and something extremely unexpected happened: I had an ischemic stroke. I spent about a month in the hospital, and my favorite part of every day was when my husband and children would come visit me and wheel me down to the hospital’s koi pond.

When I saw this beautiful gradient set from The Plucky Knitter, I knew it had to become something special. One of my lingering issues is that my arm feels pain when it’s cold, so a snuggly shrug seemed perfect. And at each of the color changes, I added a stitch pattern that reminds me of my happy, relaxing fishies swimming around.

Yarn
The Plucky Knitter Primo DK (75% Extra Fine Italian SW Merino, 20% Cashmere, 5% Nylon; 200 yd per 105g); sample used 180-200 yards of each color in gradient set Don’t Be Koi

Tools
Size 8 (5.0mm) 24” circular (or size required to meet gauge)
1 stitch marker
Tapestry needle

Gauge
19 sts and 25 rows / 4” in stockinette, after blocking
Exact gauge is not crucial, but differences in gauge will affect finished size and yarn usage.

Finished Measurements
56” x 11”