Inspired by nature and the Estonian and Orenburg knitting traditions, this shawl is a joy to knit. Named for the leaves on the aspens in the Rockies, this is a nice project for gently shaded hand-painted yarn. We've used this pattern in the classroom, starting with a mini-version of the shawl in a day-long class. Most students were able to cast on for the full-sized version before the end of 6 hours.

• Handmaiden Sea Silk is also suitable as is Lanas Puras fingering and several of the yarns from Natural Dye Studio.