This pattern is available via LoveCrafts!

While on vacation I found some just fabulous yarn—it had a beautiful base color with flecks of all the different colors I love, and love to wear. This would go with everything in my wardrobe! As an added benefit, it was a cotton blend that would be all-seasonal in my warm climate.

And then I got home.

What the heck does one do with such an interesting yarn? You can’t work cables or lace, because the texture of the yarn will overpower the texture of the stitches. I didn’t have enough for a tank top, and anyway it’s not really right for that… and then I though about playing with shawl shaping.

This shawl has three trapezoidal panels connected with what are called “spines” when used in a triangular shawl. The cast on edge leaves space for your neck and allows the shawl to wrap nicely around the shoulders, leaving one corner and point to drape over both the front and the back. The stitch used is a reversible welting, and the increases are invisible and flexible (see below). The shape and stitch are both strong and friendly—a great pairing for a challenging yarn or when you just want a quick, easy knit.

This pattern is one of those that is a lot more complicated looking than it is to work. The stitch is based on the reversible “4+1” welting, in which you work four rows in knit then one row in purl. The extra trick here is that you will work a two-row increase that results in a relatively invisible but also nicely loose increase. On the “RS” row you will work a yarnover, and then on the following row you’ll either knit or purl it through the back loop so that it is twisted and doesn’t show a big hole. Like the big hole? Just knit or purl it normally!

Many thanks to Ravelry user amgoth2000 for suggesting the name! I love the symmetry, palindrome, and double points of the v’s—nice choice, thank you!