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I love the expression “cotton candy skies”, which I had never heard until my niece used it in describing the beautiful pastel colors of a sky over Tampa Bay as dusk approached. While out on a run, she had taken a stunning photo of a sky bathed in peach, pink, lavender and gold, with hints of aqua and deeper shades of all as dusk moved ever closer with these hues from above reflected in the waves and ripples of the water. The fading light and its reflections upon the bay were the inspiration for this design.

Cotton Candy Skies is crescent shaped, with garter stitch and lace waves of varying size, spreading out to a generous wingspan with a gently undulating border generated by the lace sections. The sections of garter stitch make for a relaxing knitting experience, as do the lacy waves. An adventurous beginner will find the lace stitches easy to memorize but will keep seasoned knitters interested.

The end of the day approaches flooding the sky with an ethereal glow of pastel colors, reminiscent of the cotton candy you get at the fair. Waves below reflect the colors of the clouds as dusk settles its blanket of quiet magic, until the light is gone. You can close your eyes and still see the glow, as you recall the gentle wavering light and the peace you felt as you watched the light play upon the ripples.

Yarn Used:

Sunshine Dye Works Sunny Sock Yarn (75% Superwash Merino / 25% Nylon, 400 yds / 366m, 3.5 oz / 100g skein)
The sample used the colors Fading Light and Johnathan Livingston

Yardage:

C1: Fading Light; 562-686 yds / 514-627.5m*
C2: Johnathan Livingston; 399.5-488 yds / 365.5-446m*
Yardage estimates include 10% +/- those used in sample.

Needles:

US 5 (3.75mm) circular, 50” (125cm)

Notions:

Stitch markers to mark border stitches (2)
Tapestry needle
Stitch markers to mark repeats (optional)
Thread/yarn for lifeline (optional)

Gauge:

20 sts and 46 rows = 4” / 10cm for Garter Stitch (swatch on US 5 needles after blocking).
20 st and 32 rows = 4” / 10cm for Stockinette Stitch –for reference (swatch on US 5 needles after blocking).

Special Techniques:

Knitting in the round
Increases using kfb, yo and (k1, yo, k1) in 1 stitch
Decreases using k2tog and ssk

Final Measurements:

Inside wingspan of shawl: 104”/ 264 cm after blocking
Depth of shawl: 25” / 63.5 cm after blocking

The pattern was professionally tech edited.

Thanks to my fabulous test knitters for helping me by making such lovely finished objects to inspire you: iknittedyouascarf, sgmensing, maggieworkshop, SpunbyRJ, luluknitts, and lefti.
Your help is more than appreciated and you have my humble thanks.