You can now choose the downloadable PDF version of the pattern or the hard copy printed out and mailed -- it is your choice. 

*****

This pattern is one of those catch-your-breath-gorgeous ones. A half-circle shawl design from Kreations by Kristi, this Leaves Washed Ashore was designed to reflect the ocean crashing against the land, with the twinkling of beads to highlight the whole.

Here is how Kristi puts it:

"Lace undulating patterns are reminiscent of waves washing leaves to shore and the edging in the lighter contrasting color remind me of sea foam. Add beads for dancing lights on the water!"

The pattern includes both charts and written row by row instructions and is considered of moderate difficulty as there are patterned rows on both the "wrong side" and the "right side" rows.

The pattern is written so that you will have a huge array of size options, simply depending on the combination of pattern repeats you choose. From Kristi again: "You can repeat/alternate the two body patterns as many times as you want and still flow into the leaves pattern which can be made into a short or long border. The pattern example shows the longer border."

The pattern recommends either fingering weight yarn (as shown in most of the photos here), between 600 and 1000yards, or lace weight. The two-color shawl photographed here (the first photo on the page and the ones after with two blues) was made in the larger size (finished measurements of 88" x 30") using 790 yards of the darker blue and 250 yards of the lighter. The three-color one pictured (in three shades of grey) is done in a slightly smaller size (74" x 25" finished) and would only take 350 yards of the main color, 100 of the first contrast, and 150 yards of the second contrast.

When we first saw this though, one of our first thoughts was Gradiance!, and a marvelous test-knitter (hi, Joss!) volunteered some Eos he had in Neptune's Garden to knit this beauty. So that is lace weight and I have to say, it came out beautifully. His photo is the last on this page -- taken on a rainy day, so you can imagine how much more beautiful even this will look with good light. He promised a new one as soon as the sun comes out in his neighborhood -- the last one was just taken and sent. Lovely.

You will also need between 500 and 800 beads for this design, depending on the size -- if you decide to use fingering weight yarn, then size 6/0s or 8/0s would work. If you prefer lace weight yarn, then I recommend 8/0s, though Joss used some 6/0s for his first repeat and then changed to 8/0s in a different bead color (same family but different color) for the rest.

Really striking.

So on this page we offer the pattern -- a hard copy, all eight pages printed out on heavy-weight paper, slid into a sheet protector.

This is a strikingly lovely design. And fun to knit.