Linen Stitch Scarf Pattern October 26, 2010

It’s done!  It’s done!  The Ultimate Winter Scarf is done!  And I think it’s pretty ultimate!  Whew, that’s a relief.

Long? √   Colorful?  √   Three colors integrated seamlessly?  √  Soft and warm?  √

Scarf in situ

So, here it is, the pattern for the Three Color Linen Stitch Scarf.  Some notes, or lessons learned, are below.

Lessons Learned:

I recommend a thumb or backwards loop cast on.  I did a long tail cast on and it used up too much yarn, so I ran out of that color first and had to resort to cutting the remaining two balls at each end so I could keep working with them.  It wasn’t necessarily a big deal, since the cut strands were incorporated into the fringe, but it would’ve been easier not to.

I did a purl bind off on the right side of the scarf; I felt it matched the cast on edge better.  I bound off with the next size larger needle i.e. U.S. 15 10mm, because I am notorious for binding off too tight and the thought of tinking 310 bound off stitches of ‘grabby’ yarn, made me a little sick to my stomach.  The trade off, however, is that I feel my bind off stitches are a little too obvious.  Oh, well, I’ll live with it.  You know your knitting tendencies, so bind off the best way for you.  I did not recommend it in the finished pattern.

Some of you might notice, the finished length and the gauge I included in the pattern doesn’t match what I was aiming for or the gauge my swatch produced.  Yep, once again the knitting whimsies were out and about messing with my gauge swatch.  So be warned!

The stitch pattern I used doesn’t look identical on the back, however the reverse reminds me a lot of seed stitch, and I think it looks pretty cool, so I would say it’s reversible, regardless!

Front side: I like how the stitch makes little triangles

Reverse side: Reminds me of seed stitch & is very cool!

For more information about the yarn used, check out my yarn review.

So what do you think?  Does it fit the bill?

*Note: I wanted to add that I believe any chunky multicolored yarn will work for this pattern, it doesn’t have to be the Lang Mille Fiamme.*

Ultimate Winter Scarf cont. October 20, 2010

What makes an Ultimate Scarf in my humble opinion?

First things first, it needs to be long; as long as my store bought go-to scarf, maybe longer, I want to be able to wrap myself like a mummy if need be!  Plus, I love the drama of a long scarf.  So, I measured my current winter scarf and it’s 80″ excluding fringe.  I’ll aim for 80″, because I’m sure there will be some stretch when there’s that much fabric.

Since I am knitting this length wise, I need to figure out how many stitches to cast on to get this length.  My gauge on 9mm US 13 needles is 19 sts to 5″.  3.8 sts per inch.  So, that means I need to cast on 310 sts.  Wowzer!  I hope my circular cable is long enough to handle it!

Second, in addition to long, it needs to be colorful.  I use scarves much like men utilize ties.  It’s a splash of color, expresses my personality, enlivens bleak winter days and neutral coats, plus if it’s colorful, it should go with everything!  And I love versatility.

What constitutes your ultimate scarf?

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Miracle of miracles I actually measured out the correct length for my long tail cast on and managed to cast on 310 sts on the first try.  Here’s hoping I continue to be so lucky.

After casting on the 310 sts I immediately began the first row of linen stitch with my second color.

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Etcetera –

• When coming back to the project after a break, the side you need to start on is the side with two strands coming off it.
• It took me 17 minutes to complete a purl row and 15 minutes to complete a knit row.  Now you know.
• The most common error I made was slipping two stitches, which would disrupt the pattern repeat.
• You know which stitch you need to work by the following indicators A) It’s the longer stitch, because it was slipped the previous row. B) The color difference between stitches. C) Looking to see which stitch already has a strand in front of it.
• It is easy to make the ends too tight, since you’re working with the yarn below the row you finished.  Just don’t tug and you’ll be fine.

If you missed the first instalment of this endeavor, you can read up on it here.

My Ultimate (I Hope) Winter Scarf October 9, 2010

I’ve warmed many a neck with my knitting needles since I’ve learned to knit, and I’ve knit myself multiple scarves, but when it’s really cold out and I need a really long, really warm scarf I still reach for my (gasp!) store bought scarf; the mega scarf I bought when we moved to England.

I’ve tried making myself an ‘Ultimate’ scarf before with some beautiful yarn I bought in Greece, but in my haste (I really needed an easy project to work on at Stitch & Bitch so I could, you know, bitch) I knit it in stockinette.  That thing curled up tighter than tightwads fist!  I still wear it, but it’s more a fashion scarf than a winter scarf.

I walked into Yarn on the Square a few months ago and fell in love with Lang Yarns Mille Fiamme, however I managed to resist.  (I think it involved me screaming ‘no, no, no’ as I ran out the door.) But, a little while later, my visiting Mother suggested we pop into the yarn shop and there is was again – singing it’s siren song, ‘You love me.  Touch me; feel how soft I am.  I am beautiful.  You covet my colorways.  I promise you a lifetime of warmth and happiness.”  How could I resist?  But, of course, I couldn’t chose just one.  I fell in love with three.

 

Mille Fiamme All Balled Up & Ready to Go

 

I immediately balled the skeins when I got home, so quick I didn’t even take a picture before doing so.  Ooops.  Part of my knitting OCD or ADD, not sure which.

I swatched the work in multiple needle sizes, in the end opting for the suggested 9mm US 13 size, for best drape while still being knit tight enough to keep me warm.  This is supposed to be the ‘Ultimate’ scarf after all.

My goal was to integrate the three colorways into a cohesive fabric, thus after pouring over my various stitch books I opted for a Three Color Linen Stitch.  A) It blends the colors seamlessly.  B) It doesn’t curl (ding, ding, ding we have a winner!). C) It looks cool.

 

Linen Stitch (this swatch was knit in one color)

 

To make my life extra challenging I decided to knit it lengthwise on a circular needle (wish me luck).

I’ll update you on my progress! 🙂