This design is part of Crit Knits, a collection of 8 designs each inspired by a member of the Mighty Nein from Critical Role, Campaign 2. If you’re a knitting Critter who wants in on all of them, check out the Crit Knits ebook to snag a discount when you get them all!

ABOUT WAITING FOR LIGHTNING
A very dear friend of mine (ahem, Caoilainn17) changed my life 11 years ago by teaching me how to knit. Eight years later, she changed my life again by introducing me into the wonderland that is Critical Role and Dungeons & Dragons as a whole. One episode of Critical Role and I was a goner - I knew I had a found a new passion and a new lifelong hobby, all in one. I had no idea that Dungeons & Dragons was exactly the game needed to make my nerdy, fantasy-novel-obsessed heart sing. Since then, I have joined a campaign or two of my own and watched (literally, I am not exaggerating) hundreds of hours of Critical Role.

Yasha Nydoorin, the strong and stoic aasimar barbarian played by Ashley Johnson, is one of my favorite characters from Critical Role Campaign 2. Yasha has slowly been finding her own way in the world as she recovers from a tragic past - the death of her beloved wife, for whom she still collects and presses flowers. Yasha fiercely protects those she loves and is willing to go above and beyond for her friends and her god, Kord the Storm Lord.

For this design, I wanted to knit in both Yasha’s past and her present. Thus, the shawl features both floral mosaic knitting sections to represent the flowers she collects for her wife, Zuala, and a mosaic knitting border worked with the Storm Lord’s symbol. Yasha is able to manifest gigantic wings due to her angelic heritage so the shape of the shawl is meant to bring to mind wings. The cables used for the structure of the wings throughout the shawl are designed to echo the braided leather featured on Yasha’s original outfit at the beginning of Campaign 2. I was lucky enough to get to use Critical Sheep Ash and Opulent colorways on this design. These colors were chosen to call to mind Yasha’s usual striking indigo make-up look.

Whether you’re a die-hard Critter or just someone looking for a fun, colorful knit, start up an episode of Critical Role on Youtube and give this design a try! Hopefully, this shawl will keep you or a loved one warm the next time you happen to find yourself needing to sneak about an ancient ruined city buried in ice.

ABOUT CRIT KNITS
This design is part of Crit Knits, a collection of 8 knitwear designs by myself and the fabulous MandyBee. Each of the 8 designs is inspired by a member of the Mighty Nein from Critical Role, Campaign 2 and uses stunning yarn from Critical Sheep, to layer on even more D&D fun.

If you’re a knitting Critter who wants in on all of the Crit Knits fun, check out the Crit Knits ebook to snag a discount when you get them all!

Also, each pattern in this collection contains a coupon code for an additional Mighty Nein-inspired pattern, so if you’d also like to knit a Mollymauk Tealeaf-inspired lace shawl, check out: Tealeaf Tarot Shawl designed by MandyBee. A 20% off coupon code for Tealeaf Tarot Shawl is available on the last page of the Waiting for Lightning pattern.

ABOUT CRITICAL ROLE
From CritRole.com: What began in 2012 as a bunch of friends playing in each other’s living rooms has evolved into a multi-platform entertainment sensation, attracting over half million viewers every week. Now in its second campaign storyline, the show features seven popular voiceover actors diving into epic Dungeons & Dragons adventures, led by veteran game master Matthew Mercer.

Techniques Used with Tutorials Provided:

• Garter Tab Cast On
• Mosaic Knitting
• Icelandic Bind Off

Yarn Used in Sample:
Critical Sheep ‘D4 Fingering’ (75% Superwash Merino, 25% Nylon, 450 yds / 411 m per 100 g skein)
MC: Ash, 2 skeins
CC: Opulent, 1 skein

Needles:
US 4 / 3.5 mm needles, or size needed to obtain gauge, for working flat (A ~40” 100 cm circular is recommended to accommodate the size of the shawl as it grows.)

Notions:
10 stitch markers, cable needle (optional), yarn needle

Yardage Estimates from Sample:
MC: 873 yds / 799 m, 194 g
CC: 490 yds / 445 m, 108 g

Final Measurements:
Width: 66” / 167.5 cm
Length: 32.5” / 82.5 cm

This pattern has been tech edited and test knit.

I would like to extend a very special thank you to:

• My fabulous technical editor - Lisa Beth Houchins (MeanestMommy)
• and my wonderful, helpful test knitters - Deanna (dmorgan166), Hannalie (HannelieVictor), Jo-Ann (jstebbing), Sabrina (Sabriners)

How do you want to do this?

Thanks to your generous support, purchases of this and other Crit Knits patterns allowed us to donate $600 to OutRight Action International with our June 2021 Crit Knits profits! OutRight fights for human rights for LGBTIQ people everywhere. They work at the international, regional, and national levels to research, document, defend, and advance human rights for LGBTIQ people around the world. If you’d like to read about OutRight or donate to them as well, check out their website.