I’m pretty sure stripes have always been popular in knitting, but I feel like I’ve noticed a whole flood of shawls lately featuring bold stripes used in creative ways… and I love it. I always have promising color combinations in the stash that need projects and I think a couple of these graphic pieces might just do the trick.

Copyright Audry Nicklin. Click for pattern page.

First up is Beyond the Pines, a shawl designed by the talented Audry Nicklin of the Bear Ears blog. I love the unique, 5-pointed shape of this shawl, the way the stripes highlight the points, and the way the wide, textured border grounds the edge.

Copyright leethal. Click for pattern page.

The sideways-knit Pigment shawl by Lee Meredith is another great example of a bold use of color. In typical Leethal style, this shawl can be knit in any weight and with nearly any amount of yarn. It’s really versatile and I imagine it would be a great way to use up leftovers and miniskeins.

Copyright Classic Elite Yarns. Click for pattern page.

The Geneva shawlette by Amy Loberg is really cool! The use of two contrast colors for the short row wedges is really flashy, and since there are only a handful of the stripey bits, they are not overwhelming. Using them sparingly was really effective, I think.

Copyright stebo79. Click for pattern page.

Similar to the last one, the Xandra shawl by Stefanie Bold makes great use of a small amount of accent color. In this case, lines radiate out from one corner to the jagged edge. It’s a really cool look and I’m even kind digging the charcoal/hot pink combo, which is normally outside of my color comfort zone.

Copyright Jeannie Kubricht. Click for pattern page.

I think this Nostalgia Shawl by Elena Nodel might be one of my favorites. I love the crescent shape, the swoopy asymmetrical stripes, and the unexpected mesh wedges. Can a shawl be punk? This one strikes me as kind of punk. I might need to cast on for it sooner than later.

Copyright Sivia Harding. Click for pattern page.

The Rainshadow scarf by Sivia Harding is quite outside her normal design style but is also really cool. This garter stitch piece is worked lengthwise in a triangular shape, with the stripes radiating from one corner out to the jagged edge. More short rows and eyelets and stripes. I think there are some beads in there, too. Love it!

Copyright MillyWipstash. Click for pattern page.

The Cameo shawl by Paulina Popiolek is another great example of how some simple stripes, eyelets, and edgings can make for a striking shawl. It’s one of those patterns that makes me simultaneously jealous (“Man, why didn’t I think of that?”) and covetous (“I want it!”).

Copyright Paulina Popiolek. CLick for pattern page.

No doubt recognizing that she had a good thing going with her Cameo shawl, Paulina designed the similar-but-still-so-different Axis shawl. It involves similar striping and jagged edging but employs a really bold and unexpected slipped stitch section in the middle there.

Copyright Emily Peters. Click for pattern page.

For a rainbow-chevron-ripple-tastic shawl, there’s the Berkely, CA pattern by Emily Peters. I’m a sucker for rainbow yarns paired with neutrals, and I think this pattern manages to look both psychadelic and wearable.

Copyright Lilofil. Click for pattern page.

Finally, we have the stripey-and-texture-ific Bryum shawl by Cailliau Berangere. I’m really digging the slipped stitch colorwork sections and I’m betting this sideways-knit shawl would work great in any weight of yarn.

See? Graphic, striped shawls are everywhere! Have you come across any others? What’s been inspiring you, lately? Share with us in the comments!