Kits are available at littleskein.com

As a girl, I loved to imagine life in a cabin in the woods, where I would make everything by hand and explore the natural world every day. I was fascinated with stories of nature and treehouses and especially tales of young people who went to live in the woods.

Walden began as a way to honor this quiet, handmade place in my heart. That imaginary cabin in the woods where life is both simple and rich.

The Walden shawl brings to life this feeling of both simplicity and ability. It’s a crescent-shaped shawl but constructed in a slightly unconventional way. It has three wedges, two of which are simple stockinette, and the third is a trellised leaf cable.

To me, Walden has become a touchstone. It’s shawl, an illustration, and a bit of a handmade meditation that can remind me to go slow and enjoy the simple joy of making.

—Anne Vally, Little Skein in the Big Wool

About this shawl
Walden is a crescent-shaped shawl and constructed in a slightly unconventional way. It has three wedges, two of which are simple stockinette, and the third is a trellised leaf cable. It’s a design that brings to life the feeling of both simplicity and sparkle.

Skill level: Intermediate
(an adventurous beginner would be OK, but most preview knitters found it important to have experience with cables and simple lace.)

Skills needed:

• knit and purl
• cable stitches
• increase and decrease stitches

This pattern has written and charted instructions. It has been tech-edited and preview knit.