Rather than think about the discrete rows of stitches, think about each "set" of pineapples. Notice that there is "stuff" between the pineapples that forms a frame, curves around each pineapple, and does some increases and divisions and setup stuff so that the next "set" can nestle into the space between.
Note that each half of the shawl is identical, and there is a FULL pineapple at each end, and at the midline. In a "standard triangle", the count would go 2,3,4,5,6 etc like you've seen on every triangle you've ever known. Beer cans, billiard balls, bowling pins, crocheted shawls, etc. This shawl has an EXTRA increase there in the second set, you can see the TWO green pineapples squeezed there in the space between the red ones. It's an awesome design, but it means you have to pay attention, because the 2nd set increases in a different way from the 3rd set. Also, if you want to make the shawl bigger, you have to decide which kind of increase you would do for follow-on sets
Yellow = pineapple everything else is framing. From bottom to top: 7DC 7DC/6ch – 1ch bet each DC 6SC/5 arches (arch=3ch) 5SC/4 arches 4SC/3 arches 3SC/2 arches 2SC/1 arch
The highlighted row is the TOP arch of the first set, and the 1st stem row of the 2nd set. It really doesn't seem to make too much sense until you are all finished and take a step back and look at it. ONE row will be the top of one set of pineapples and the bottom of another, so while you are finishing off (making the arches) one set, you're setting up the next one with the shells being close together, then further apart, etc.
