Have you ever seen a black cloud of birds swooping in unison over a field? The entire group bears one direction and then suddenly changes course. It’s breathtaking. This seemingly choreographed dance of a flock of starlings is called a murmuration. (Murmuration is also the collective noun for starlings, by the way.) Each bird adjusts its movements based on small changes made by the birds around him, thereby avoiding collision. If only humans could be so attuned to their surroundings.

Murmuration Shawl was inspired by this mesmerizing flight. Twisted traveling stitches trace the converging and diverging paths across a sky of reverse stockinette. A buttonhole at one corner of the asymmetrical triangle secures the tail at your shoulder as you flit about your day.

As I was driving to find a location to photograph the shawl, I happened to spot a murmuration. How serendipitous! You can watch the video here: https://youtu.be/SeOObhO3tAc.

Both charts and written instructions are provided. This shawl is a great opportunity to practice cabling without a cable needle. Instructions and video links are provided.

This shawl was originally designed for Anzula Cloud, a light fingering weight yarn, because the colorway reminded me of the sky at dusk. The pattern works equally well in fingering weight with slightly larger needles.

Light fingering weight: 1 skein of Anzula Cloud. [Sample used 510 yd. (466 m)/101 g. US 5 (3.75 mm) needle; US 7 (4.5 mm) dpn for BO.]

• 26.5 in. (67.5 cm) deep along Murmuration edge
• 48 in. (122 cm) along top edge
• 62 in. (157.5 cm) along bottom edge

Fingering weight: 2 skeins Quince & Co. Finch. [Sample used 415 yd. (379 m)/93.9 g. US 7 (4.5 mm) needle; US 8 (5.0 mm) dpn for BO.]

• 25 in. (63.5 cm) deep along Murmuration edge
• 39.5 in. (100.5 cm) along top edge
• 53 in. (134.5 cm) along bottom edge