What is The Ombis? No one really knows.

Is it a swoopy beach cover up that doesn’t really cover anything? Does it have a short back or a long one? Is the front gathered and lush or simply drapy? Does it really matter? It’s just fun.

Really, what The Ombis is… is zen knitting. A lacy rectangle with holes for your arms, and a knitted honeycomb grid stitch that looks crocheted, courtesy of the exceptionally clever Melissa Leapman and her book The Knit Stitch Pattern Handbook. The colorblocking is optional, but makes it look different depending on how you wear it. Wear it with the holes nearer the top of the long side, and it’s more drapy (see 3rd picture below). Wear it with the holes nearer the bottom, and it turns into a thing with a squooshy front that is even more fun to wear (shown at left). Don’t even bother blocking it. It’s just gonna get wet, and as the yarn is made from three of the most durable fibers, it’ll just get softer with time.

It’s a silly thing. Silly things seem like a good idea lately.