His Golden Lair

If you’d like to see full information about this pattern, please visit http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/his-golden-lair . . . . . . . If you’d like to see other work by Kourtney Robinson, please visit her designer page here http://www.ravelry.com/designers/kourtney-robinson . . . . . . .
I read the Hobbit as a child, and I clearly remember the cover illustration. Smaug (the dragon) was coiled about his gold and he had one eye slitted open. This shawl is inspired by that image – the cabled stitches form both stacks of coins and represent that narrowed eye. They transition into scales, and the edges and overall shape represent his wings, spread wide and darkening the sky. This is a more complex knit; the eyelet cables and patterning on every row couple with the rates of increase to create a shawl that is very balanced when complete, but not exactly predictable while knitting. But as with many quests, the treasure is worth the effort!