Named for the Sawback range in the Canadian Rockies, this cozy worsted weight shawl echoes the experience of a typical hike in the mountains: a tough uphill slog at the beginning carries you through a remarkable diversity of pocket ecosystems and breathtaking beauty, and rewards you with an easy jaunt back down.

Sawback starts at the bottom with a quirky variation on a picot cast-on (“tapered”, with shorter picot points at each end and longer ones in the middle). The rows get shorter as you progress through distinct lace, slipped stitch, and garter stitch phases, allowing you to get the tricky stuff out of the way and then coast on through to the end. The result is a fresh and original tri-colour crescent that sits on the shoulders like it belongs there (because, trust me, it does).