Mother of Invention is a cozy triangular shawl in three sizes featuring a clever construction that allows you to alternate stripes of Stockinette and Reverse Stockinette on either side of the center spine.

“Why would I want to do that?” you might be asking.

And I’m so glad you did! It’s because this stitch pattern gives a fantastic all-over texture with the added bonus of creating an interesting trompe-l’oeil effect. That is to say, your main color yarn will feature more prominently on the left side of the shawl, and your contrast color will be the star on the right. It’s especially distinct and interesting when viewed at an angle, or when wrapped cozily around you.

There are also instructions to add pops of color throughout--this shawl can be as simple or as wild as you like! My fantastic group of pattern testers tried all sorts of variations to provide lots of inspiration! You can see their ideas in the Projects tab!

This is a great project to use up some of those lone skeins of fingering weight yarn in your stash, or to incorporate some beloved scraps! You’ll want to make lots of these to try out all of the different combinations!

The simple design is easy to memorize, making this a highly enjoyable and easily transportable project. The lace edge has just enough flair to be a stunning addition to the shawl, with written and charted instructions provided for your convenience.

Mother of Invention is the first in a series of three shawls that are tied together by a common thread—the pursuit of wellness, health and life, as realized throughout history. Mother of Invention represents the most modern of these pursuits—what we think of today as “modern medicine”. Before its advent, little could be done for the sick above rest and attentive care. But the necessity of a better way to treat those who are ill drove some of the most inquiring minds to science: to the study of pathogens and their treatments.

As they say: Necessity is the Mother of Invention.

You can read all about the thematic significance that ties the collection together on the Looking Back E-book page! If you like what you see, please consider pre-ordering the e-book--you’ll get a great discount for taking a leap of faith! All three patterns will be published no later than October 2016--so your purchase will ensure you’ve got an exciting new project to work on every 6-8 weeks!

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The Particulars:
Sizes: Small (Medium, Large)
Finished Measurements: 42” wide x 20” deep (57” wide x 29” deep, 70” wide x 32” deep)

Yarn & Yardage Guide:
For Single Color Small + pops of color:
madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light (100% Merino, 420 yards per skein); 1 skein (~310 yds) + 1 madelinetosh Unicorn Tail (~35 yds).
Shown in Gossamer-MC + Edison Bulb-CC2.

For Two Color Large + pops of color:
madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light; 1 skein each in two colors (~400 yds & ~360 yds) + 2 Unicorn Tails (~65 yds).
Shown in French Grey-MC + Calligraphy-CC1 + Pop Rocks-CC2.

For Single Color Small:
Knit Picks Preciosa Fingering (100% merino, 437 yards per 100g skein); 1 skein (~400 yds). Shown in Sasquatch-MC.

For Two Color Medium:
Knit Picks Preciosa Fingering; 1 skein each in two colors (~420 yds & ~265 yds). Shown in Bonsai-MC + Blue Skies-CC1.

Needles: 4mm/US size 6 circular needle

Always check gauge. Adjust needle size to obtain proper gauge.

Notions: Stitch marker, tapestry needle.*