Aha! Moment Knits At Fives and Sixes Keyhole Scarf
Design: Lisa Kartus Skill level: Intermediate Aha! moments: $+$ Weaving in ends as you go $^+$ closing that gap when joining in the round Yarn: Self- striping sock yarn, approx. 220 yards/ 200 metres. Shown in Zauberball color 1564.
www.ahamomentknits.com Needles and stuff: U.S.6(4 mm) 16"/ 40 cm circ set of dpns in same 6 stitch markers, 1 in a contrasting color tapestry needle Finished Size: 45" long including keyhole 5" at widest point The nifty thing about modular knitting is that you do a bit and finish it. Then add on another bit and finish it. I love that feeling of completion. Now, knitted hexagons line up and lie flat nicely. Pentagons, on the other hand, will not line up in neat military formation and like to ruffle when they're all done. (l won't comment on the paradox of the military Pentagon metaphor, but rather just throw it out there.) In any case, combining the two shapes makes a ruffled scarf that can be as long as you want it. My version took half of one Zauberball, so with the remaining yarn you can either make a second scarf or lengthen the first one. And this being 1) a scarf that is 2) built of modules, you are officially excused from making a gauge swatch.
Knitting
First pentagon Using circ needle, CO 91 stitches: 90 for the first pentagon and 1 that you'll use to close the gap at the end of your first round of stitches. Join to work in the round, taking care not to twist the stitches. Set-up round: (p18, pm) 5 times. \*Use your contrast-color marker for last repeat to denote end of round. Notice you have that one stitch left over. \*lnitial dec round: k3tog (extra stitch $^+$ first 2 sts of round). Aha! moment: You've closed that annoying gap that plagues all of us who knit in the round. Any time you CO to work in the round, just add that extra st and work it together with the first st of the second round to close the gap. Work to 2 sts before next marker, ssk, sm, (k2tog, k to 2 sts before next marker, ssk, sm) 4 times. Round 1: purl. Round 2: (k2tog, k to last two sts, ssk, sm) 5 times. Rpt these two rounds until you have too few sts to work comfortably on circ needles -- I hit this point at 10 sts between markers. On the next purl row, change to dpns and set up as follows: drop end of round marker, (pl0, sm, p10) twice onto first dpn and again onto second dpn. That leaves you 10 sts to purl onto third dpn. Note that your end of round is now after the dpn that holds no marker. Cont Rounds 1 and 2. Your dec round will now be k2tog at beg of needle, ssk before marker, k2tog after marker and ssk at end of needle. When there are 4 sts in each section: 1st and 2nd needle: k2tog, ssk, remove marker, k2tog, ssk. 3rd needle: k2tog, ssk. 10 sts rem Cut yarn, leaving about 7" tail. Thread tail through tapestry needle, then run tapestry needle through 10 rem sts. Draw sts closed. To weave in the tail, run the tapestry needle around the center circle of sts, the one that looks like the petals of a daisy.\*
Second pentagon and begin keyhole section: This pentagon forms one branch of the keyhole. With circ needle, pick up and knit 16 sts along one CO edge of first pentagon. Then using either cable CO or some other knitted CO method, CO another $64+1\,{\sf s t s}{=}80{+}1$ sts. Join in the round. Set-up row: (p16, pm) 5 times. Aha! moment: weaving in tails as you go: while purling those first 16 sts, do this: place right needle into st, lay yarn tail over working yarn, wrap st and work as usual. Place right needle into next st, lay yarn tail over working yarn, wrap st and work as usual. You'll find that you're flipping the tail back and forth over the working yarn, and that wrapping the new stitch traps the tail. Do this for an inch or two. Then when you're all done with the scarf, all you'll need to do is clip these tails. Work the remainder of this pentagon the same way as the first pentagon, from \* to \*.
Third pentagon
This pentagon forms the second branch of the keyhole. With circ needle, pick up and knit 16 sts along the next edge over from the one where you picked up for the Second Pentagon. Then CO another $64+1\ {\sf s t s}=80$ Sts. Join in the round. Set-up row: (pl6, pm) 5 times, weaving in tail as you go. Work the remainder of this pentagon the same way as the first pentagon, from \* to \*.
Fourth pentagon
This pentagon connects the two keyhole branches. Flatten the two keyhole pentagons as much as possible, trace your finger up the center straight side of the right-hand pentagon and then turn right across the next side. With circ needle, pick up and knit 16 sts on this edge, another 16 sts on the parallel top edge of the left-hand pentagon, then CO another $48\ {\sf s t s}+1\,=\,80\ {\sf s t s}+1$ Join in the round. Set-up row: (p16, pm) 5 times, weaving in tail as you go. Work the remainder of this pentagon the same way as the first pentagon, from \* to \*.
Hexagons
The next four modules are hexagons.
First hexagon
\*\*Using circ needle, pick up and knit 15 sts along the top edge of fourth pentagon, then Co another $75+1~{\mathsf{s t s}}=90~{\mathsf{s t s}}+1$ . First round: (p15, pm) 6 times. Initial dec round: k3tog, k to 2 sts before next marker, ssk, sm, (k2tog, k to last two sts, ssk, sm) 5 times. Round 1: k Round 2: p Round 3: (k2tog, k to last two sts, ssk, sm) 6 times. As with the pentagons, work these rounds until you have too few sts to stretch around the circ needle -- at about 9 sts per section. Arrange two sections separated by a marker on each of 3 dpns. Work rounds 1 through 3 until three sts rem between markers. Work rounds 1 and 2 again, then k2tog around ${}=9$ sts rem. Cut yarn, leaving about 7" tail. Thread tail through tapestry needle, then run tapestry needle through rem sts. Draw sts closed. To weave in the tail, run the tapestry needle through the center circle of sts, the one that looks like the petals of a daisy.\*\* Second, third and fourth hexagons: Make in the same manner as the first hexagon, picking up and knitting the first 15 sts along the opposite edge of the previous hexagon, from \*\* to \*\*.
Fifth, sixth and seventh pentagons
Make same as Second Pentagon, picking up and knitting the first 15 sts of fifth pentagon along the opposite edge of the fourth hexagon.
Eighth pentagon
Go back to the first pentagon. Attach eighth pentagon along the edge farthest from the opposite keyhole branching edge. If you'd like a longer scarf: add more pentagons at either end. Or go wild and crazy and throw in a hexagon or two.
Finishing
Make sure your yarn tails are secure, then clip them. Either steam press gently or block. Wear, pulling longer end through keyhole and letting it flutter in the wind.
Abbreviations
circ $=$ circular Co $=\mathsf{c a s t}$ on dec $=$ decrease dpns $=$ double-point needles pm $=$ place marker rem $=$ remain/remaining sm $=$ slip marker ssk $=$ slip slip knit decrease st/sts $=$ stitch/stitches
