This shawl is basically an experiment in color theory. I began with a set of Opal minis. My first instinct was to pick a neutral and let the focus be on the mini skein lace stripes. I wanted something a little brighter, so I thought, “what if I use orange as my main color [sort of like a neutral]?” I love the resulting bold striped stole.

Designed for advanced beginners and beyond, this pattern is much easier than it looks. The lace is intuitive, always with a resting row, and the short stitch repeats make it easy to memorize. And take my advice—weave in your ends as you go! (I didn’t, and I regretted it.)

The finished stole is light and airy. Perfect for the office, an evening at the theater, or a breezy night at the beach.

Size
Finished Measurements:
Length: 74 in/ 187.5 cm
Width: 10 (30) in/25 (75) cm

Needles
1 US Size 4 (3.5 mm) 24 in/60 cm circular needle or size needed to obtain gauge

Gauge
18.5 Sts and 28.5 rows per 4 in/ 10 cm in Contrast Stripes pattern

Block swatch before measuring gauge

Yarn:
Fingering-weight yarn

Main Color: 707 yards/ 647 meters
Contrast Colors(x26): 15 (46.5) yard/14 (42.5) meter 10 g mini skeins or scrap yarns

Sample Yarn:
Main Color: Opal 4-fach Pullover & Sockenwolle: Die Sinne Verstricken (Entangle the Senses) 75% virgin wool, 25% polyamide, 465 yards/425 meters per 100g skein, in colorway Orange

Contrast Color(x 26): Opal 4-fach Pullover & Sockenwolle, 75% virgin wool, 25% nylon, 46.5 yards/ 42.5 meters per 10g skein

Color Suggestions:
The nice thing about this stole is that anything goes in terms of selecting your yarn. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Use 26 different colors for your stripes. Solids, speckles, or variegated will work.
• Try using a single solid color for your stripes and a long gradient for your MC.
• Use a solid MC and select one or two different colors for your stripes for a more limited color palette. 200g should be just about enough of contrasting colors.
• Try using a bright color for the MC and neutrals for the stripes, or do the reverse.