Iwashigumo is a lacy, rectangular stole named after the Japanese word for a mackerel sky, a beautiful pattern of clouds that breaks and scuds across the horizon in undulating rows.  Knit in one (whole!) skein of Why Knot Fibers’ lace weight Merino yarn, Savor, the colorway does all the work of creating the subtle, dappled streaks of a mackerel sky at sunset.  The stitch pattern, a tessellating and growing series of embossed diamonds reminiscent of both stars and fish scales, includes plenty of slipped stitches to further meld the yarn’s variegated colors.  Iwashigumo is finished with a wrap‐around lace edging reminiscent of ripples, clouds, and fins.

Yarn: 1 skein of Why Knot Fibers’ Savor in “Misty Meadows” or approximately 875 yards lace weight yarn.

Gauge: 22 s. and 26 r. = 4” (10cm) square, knit flat in garter stitch and blocked. Gauge is not critical, except as regards yarn consumption.

Size of Shawl: 22” x 66” (56 cm. x 168 cm.), relaxed after blocking.

Needles: US 6 (4mm) circular needles at least 24” long and US7 (4.5mm) circular or straight needles. Two sizes are used to achieve a consistent gauge across different stitch patterns.

Notions: 4 stitch markers, preferably with one of a different color to mark the start of the round, and things to block your stole.

Options: Iwashigumo is designed to incorporate the strengths of space dyed variegated yarn, but it looks beautiful worked up in a solid or semi-solid as well, in which case you can ignore the slipped stitches; their primary function is to soften the edges of the color transitions.

Exhortations: Seriously, you’re really going to dig knitting this one.