** New pattern discount: This pattern is 50% off for until the end of the day on June 28, 2024 **

This shawl was prompted by a knitting competition where the theme was Ocean. At the time, my daughter was spending a lot of time watching the show “Octonauts”. Sitting next to her on the couch, I learned about the levels of the ocean and the different creatures who lived there. I was inspired to create a wide shawl that depicted ocean life as it corresponds to different depths of the ocean. You can use the charts to adapt to your own pattern or follow mine. This would make a lovely baby blanket if doubled or tripled in width.

I have taken some artistic liberty that you will notice: the animals are really not to scale, the colors are not totally accurate, and some creatures are not exactly at the right depth. Please excuse the creative license. Here is the list of sea creatures from top to bottom:

Sunlit Zone: Orca, Beluga Whale, Sea Turtle, Clown Fish
Twilight Zone: Angelfish, Tuna fish, Shark, Giant Octopus
Midnight Zone: Swordfish, Giant Squid, Angler Fish, Vampire Squid, Giant Tube Worms

There is a wave pattern that separates the zones from each other.

Included are the charts for all three zones, the chart for the wave pattern, and written instructions for how to use charts to create the shawl. The wool is Jamieson’s Spindrift purchased at Schoolhouse Press (www.schoolhousepress.com). I knit in the round using a 24” size 3 needle. I added stitches to create a steek and finished it using both a crocheted edge and a sewing machine (for reinforcement).

Yarn colors and amounts as follows:

For “water” colors, I needed about 3 skeins each.
For “fish” colors, I needed about 1 skein each per animal.

470 Pumpkin (border stitches and Angelfish)
410 Cornfield (border stitches and Clownfish)
400 Mimosa (border stitches)
350 Lemon (sky in Sunlit Zone, Angler Fish light, and Giant Tube Worms)
134 Blue Danube (water in Sunlit Zone)
726 Prussian (Orca, Tuna, and water in Midnight Zone)
127 Pebble (Beluga Whale)
812 Prairie (Sea Turtle)
136 Teviot (water in Twilight Zone)
122 Granite (Shark)
258 Dog Rose (Octopus and Giant Tube Worms)
764 Cloud (swordfish)
271 Flame (Squid)
576 Cinnamon (Angler Fish body)
525 Crimson (Vampire Squid)