Originally created for the Fiber Arts Studio Tour, Mini Meditations is designed to make the most of your mini skeins. While it looks complicated, it’s really a repeat of just two rows of slipped stitches. The magic happens with the combination of colors. The sample used nine colors, but you can use as many as you like or as few as just two. You can use any yarn from solids to highly variegated. The key is contrast between the colors. The sample was worked in fingering weight yarn, but you can use any weight you wish. This is a great stash buster!

This pattern is worked on the bias with increases on the right edge on both the right and wrong sides and decreases on the left edge on the right side only. This shaping creates a long, shallow triangle shawl with a curved upper edge. The updated pattern now includes instructions for a scrappy rectangle version.

The sample was worked in fingering weight mini skeins of 92-100 yds each. If your mini skeins (or scraps) vary greatly in length you may wish to use a scale to keep them approximately the same length. This is not critical to the design, but do note that the colored sections of your shawl will vary in width if your skeins vary greatly in length. 

The key to creating the all over pattern in this shawl is contrast between your colors. The sample shawl used nine minis from two color families. The yarns used for the odd numbered colors were all shades of turquoise and the yarns used for the even numbered colors were alternating shades of purple and pink. You could also use nine different colors rather than stick to two color families, but it is important to have some contrast between the yarns that lie next to one another. Very subtle shade differences between the odd numbered colors and subtle differences between the even numbered colors are fine, but be careful not use two very similar colors next to one another or the pattern may be muddied or lost completely.

For a simpler look you could knit this shawl with just two contrasting colors. Or you could use one color for the odd numbered colors and multiple colors for the even numbered colors. You could also use two contrasting sets of gradients.

This pattern works well with any color of yarn including solids, tonals, speckles, gradients or variegated yarns. It can get a little busy if you use two highly variegated yarns next to one another so you may want to knit a swatch if that’s your plan. Swatching instructions are included.

Materials:

Needles - US size 4 (3.5 mm) or size needed to obtain gauge below. 32” circular recommended. If you are using a yarn different from the sample, use a needle that gives you a fabric you like.

Miscellaneous- darning needle for weaving in ends, kitchen scale to weigh each skein (opt)

Yarn - 7-9 mini skeins, approx. 92 - 100 yds/84 - 92 m

The sample used three skeins each of:

Dancing Leaf Farm Shimmy, 92 yds/84 m
Flying Goat Farm Corriedale Sock, 100 yds/92m
Pendragon Fingering, 100 yds/92 m