Reversible faux cable scarf

I asked my 22-year-old son what I could knit for him. (I don't like wasting my time on stuff that will not be used.) He said he could use a scarf. So, the hunt began - I needed something manly enough for him and fun enough to knit for me. I eventually found an online pattern, couldn't make heads or tails of it, so I came up with this. I think it works. He wanted it long enough to fold in half and poke the ends through the fold - ya know what I mean? Anyway, that ended up being 7 feet long. To wear unfolded, the scarf really only needs to be 4 to 5 feet long.

The pattern is what I like to call a faux cable (I don't know - the knitter's bibles probably have an "official" name for it). It looks like cables, but you don't need a cable needle and (wonder of wonders) you don't have a "wrong side" to this scarf.







Both sides look the same. The 1 x 1 ribbing at each edge of the scarf also prevents the scarf from rolling up into a tube (I hate when that happens!).

When I was about 5 feet into the scarf, I could tell I was going to run out of one of my colors before it was long enough to wear folded in half, so I decided to throw in some asymmetrical stripes on one end. That'ld be stylish, right? I was so hoping it wouldn't just look stupid - like I'd run out of yarn, or something. I recently took a class offered by my local weaver's guild on stripes, (taught by Sarah Pilgrim - don't you just love that name?) so I took this opportunity to play around with one of the ideas she gave us. I decided to try using the Fibonacci series to design my stripes. Here's how it works:

You add two numbers together to get the next number. So, if you start with 1, you add the number before that to it to get the next number. What did you say? There's nothing before 1? Exactly right! So you add "nothing" to 1, in other words 0. Now your series is 1, 1. Now it gets easy. If you can just remember how to set it up, you've got it made.

1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21...

This series is also known as the Golden something or other (you're on the Internet, look it up). It's what makes the Mona Lisa's face look so -- so right.

Since I needed another couple of feet on my scarf, I decided to start with 8 and go down to the 1,1 at the end. 8 of what, you ask? 8 repeats of my basic pattern. Each 6-row repeat gave me an inch, so that was 20 more inches - close enough to 7 feet for me.

Here's a picture of how the stripes turned out. Since I was holding the yarn double, two different colors, I just replaced the color I was running out of with a different color. It kind of kept things the same, but I was hoping the stripes would still show up well enough.

Yarn: Mountain Colors, Bearfoot - held double

Color: A deep burgundy with a variegated yarn with lots of the same deep burgundy.

Colors added: Dark brown, variegated green, light brown, variegated blue, fuchsia, teal.

Needles: US size 8

gauge: Doesn't matter - it's a scarf, not a sweater!

Abbreviations:

K - knit

P - purl

K2tog - knit two together

K2K - K2tog but leave on needle, knit the first st again and slip both sts off needle

Here's the pattern:

CO 36

Setup row: [K1, P1] X 3; repeat K4, P4 until last 6 stitches, [K1, P1] X3

1st row: [K1, P1] X 3; repeat K2, K2K, P4 until last 6 stitches, [K1, P1] X3

2nd row: repeat 1st row (turning work, so you're now knitting on the "back" of the scarf)

3rd row: [K1, P1] X 3; repeat K1, K2K, K1, P4 until last 6 stitches, [K1, P1] X3

4th row: repeat 3rd row

5th row: [K1, P1] X 3; repeat K2K, K2, P4 until last 6 stitches, [K1, P1] X3

6th row: repeat 5th row

Repeat rows 1-6 until the scarf is of the desired length, ending on row six. Bind off in pattern, substituting K4 for the K2K nonsense.

M1 Tutorial

There are two ways that I "make one" when doing an increase in knitting. Whichever method you choose, you are picking up the "ladder" between the two stitches on your left and right needles. Here's a still shot of the "ladder."


The first M1 increase method leaves a hole. If you doing a project that will be felted, this is okay. The hole will close. Sometimes you want a hole, as in knitting lace. Also, this M1 method can be used to correct a missed yarn over in the previous row. Just mark the place where you missed the yarn over and M1 when you come to it. I call this the M1, left needle. Insert the tip of your left needle beneath the ladder from front to back. Knit this lifted ladder stitch through the front leg. Notice the large hole formed beneath the M1 stitch.



The other method I use does not leave a hole in the knitting. It's a great way to make an M1 increase more invisibly. I call this the M1, right needle. Insert the tip of the right needle beneath the ladder from back to front. Insert the tip of the left needle into the front leg of this stitch and knit in this position. Notice that there is no hole beneath this M1. This M1 is much more difficult, especially inserting the tip of the left needle into the front leg of the stitch, so be patient with yourself! The result is well worth it.

SSK Tutorial

I just learned I've been doing the SSK incorrectly! I've never been really happy with how it looked, and now I know why. I'm posting this little tutorial to help other "self-taught" knitters. Here are the instructions for SSK: With right needle, slip two stitches knitwise off of the left needle, one at a time. Insert left needle back into these stitches (from left to right). Knit both stitches together from this position. It was the "from this position" that I was missing. Here's the little video I made:

Welcome to my new blog! My sister goaded me into starting a blog for my knitting. She's got a fabulous blog of her own. She does lots of tutorials and is an apronista extrordinaire. You can visit her here: http://mybyrdhouse.blogspot.com/

Right now I several projects on my knitting needles. I'm making a gi-normous bag that I based the color and pattern on a Navajo rug. I've got a pair of socks from Kat's book New Pathways for Sock Knitters that keep getting set aside for urgent family knitting. Of course, I've got a couple of Christmas presents going, but I daresn't give any details on those until after the fat man comes.

I just finished the cutest little Baby Surprise Jacket (pattern available here: http://www.schoolhousepress.com/spunout.htm). I'm teaching a knitting class on it in January. I used double-stranded Mountain Colors Bearfoot sock yarn. It's such yummy yarn! I've made a couple of pairs of socks out of it, and it only gets softer as you wash it. The machine washable-ness of it makes it perfect for baby clothes.

Hopefully pics soon to come!