Usonian is a contemporary striped shawl with a striking combination of textured and lace stitch patterns.The asymmetrical triangular shaping begins with just a few stitches which then flow into striations of eyelets, garter bands, striped ribbing, twisted stitches on reverse stockinette and a woven ribbons lace border.

The name comes from the Usonian-style homes designed by my favorite architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, in the latter part of his long and illustrious career. I remember being awestruck as a kid when I first saw pictures of his buildings. I admire how these modest homes were designed with beautiful, clean horizontal and vertical lines while using non-painted, natural building materials such as wood, brick, concrete and stone, all of which resulted in a uniquely modern yet organic look. When I was designing this shawl, I wanted to capture the feel of Wright’s minimalist design aesthetic as reflected in his Usonian architecture.

While dimensions and yardage are provided for fingering weight, Usonian could effectively be worked in other yarn weights. Directions for a larger shawl are included, or you may use heavier yarn worked at the pattern-size instructions to yield a larger size. Also included are detailed blocking instructions.

The pattern is written and charted.

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