I started making the All-Shawl but wanted something more complex to keep me amused while I was making it. So I used the same number of stitches as in Doris’s pattern but arranged them differently so that a shell pattern gradually emerged. I’m not sure it’s prettier but it was a lot of fun to do as I had to work the pattern out as I went along.

I later made another shawl with a version of the pattern that I prefer. It’s the snuggly shawl.

I absolutely love the end result. It fits snuggly round my neck, it’s lovely and warm, and it comes far enough down my back. My only slight regret is that by changing the pattern I didn’t get to do the rather lovely lace that Doris has for the edging.

The fourth picture (on the back of the settee) is the nearest to the true colour.

Notes on making the wrap
My criteria were to group the stitches in shells as quickly and evenly as possible. So as soon as I could put two stitches in the same stitch I did. The maximum shell size I set at six; the central shell in each panel varied between five and six stitches in size as I added stitches, the other shells stayed at six when they reached that size. So I ended up with clusters between the Vs that looked like this:

VVVVVVVVV (It was pretty important to mark these Vs in every row.)
V1V1V1V1V1V1V1V1V
V2V2V2V2V2V2V2V2V
V3V3V3V3V3V3V3V3V

When a shell had to go into an uneven numbered shell, eg to fit into a shell 5, I did some of the stitches each side of the centre stitch.

E.g in this row:
V4V4V4V4V4V4V4V4V4 the shell 4 was 2 clusters of two around the middle post of the shell three below.

V5V5V5V5V5V5V5V5V
V6V6V6V6V6V6V6V6V
V151V151V151V151V151V151V151V151V
V161V161V161V161V161V161V161V161V
V252V252V252V252V252V252V252V252V
V262V262V262V262V262V262V262V262V
V353V353V353V353V353V353V353V353V
etc.

I made the 9 panel version because the 8 panel version didn’t seem to be wrapping around. Maybe that would come when I blocked the shawl but my yarn is 80% acrylic so I’m not sure how well that would work out. Or maybe it’s the result of using a shell pattern. I don’t know.

The edging lace didn’t look right against all those shells so I had to think again. Fringing didn’t work either, so I decided to end with the shells as edging.

Once I’d reached V66666V… the pattern looked fine to end but I wanted more length. So I changed the maximum size for a shell to 7, and did these rows:

V66766V…
V67676V…
V67776V…
V77677V…
V77777V…

I reckon you could end on any of those rows if you wanted to.