Light and colour dancing across the night-time skies of the Great White North are the images that come to mind when we hear of the “Northern Lights”! As I was knitting away I saw in mind the lights in the angles of the lace patterns and the colours in the bands. This shawl will have colour and lace dancing across your shoulders when worn.

This shawl is knit in panels. As each row is knit the colours are twisted together as if working intarsia. The lace patterns in each panel have different row repeats. After the first repeat of each pattern the pattern rows will no longer align. They will come together and move apart. They will all finish after the 14th repeat of the center diamond pattern panel.

This pattern was designed to use up odd balls and significant leftover balls of yarn from other projects. As knit, the edges, colour A, requires 400 yds of one colour, divided into 2, 200 yd balls: the narrow panels, colour B, require 200 yds of one colour, divided into 2, 100 yd ball: and the center panel, colour C, requires 200 yds.

Northern Lights could be knit with 800 yds of a single colour or 400 yds of two colours; 200 yds for each edge and 400 yds for the 3 panels between. Each Panel could be a different colour; it would be stunning knit from a gradient colour pack!