knitcircus Love & Prayers Scarf by Carolyn Kern
All rights belong to the designer; patterns for personal use only. Patern first published in Knitcircus Magazine, Fall 2011. All photographs copyright Tracy Harris for Knitcircus. Not to be reprinted and distributed or sold in any form. To see the free interviews, reviews, and pattern previews, please visit us at: www.knitcircus.com. For Standard Abbreviations, please visit our Contact Page at: http://www.knitcircus.com/pdfs/stdabbr.pdf.
Love & Prayers Scarf
by Carolyn Kern
HEALTH & LOVE SCARF DESIGN CONTEST WINNER!
I WANTED HEARTS IN MY PROJECT. They are the universal symbol of love. The picot eyelets are themselves heart shaped, so these hearts are made of many little hearts. Basic knitting skills, Stockinette stitch, working simple lace from chart or written directions, Kitchener stitch (grafting)
REQUIRED SKILLS
GAUGE
22 sts and 29 rows = 4" (10 cm) in stockinette stitch Gauge is not critical, but should be close enough for appropriate scarf dimensions. Changes in gauge may affect yarn requirements. Horseshoes are a symbol of good luck, and are hung for protection from, among other things, illness. The traditional Shetland Horseshoe Lace pattern reminds me of angel wings. Not the large elegant wings of angels in renaissance paintings, but the little wings of a most precious memory...when I went to bed at night as a child, my mother would always say,"Sleep like a little angel". My mom, who I consider my lifetime knitting teacher, passed away from pancreatic cancer in November 2009. In memory of my dear mother, I wish I could wrap any woman who is ill with love and the sweet prayers of little angels. SIZE One size FINISHEDMEASUREMENTS Length: 70" (178 cm) Width: 8.5" (21.5 cm)
YARN
Briar Rose Fibers “Glory Days", 100% Bluefaced Leicester DK [approx. 500 yds / 457 m, approx. 8 oz / 226 g skein], deep red handdyed: 1 skein
NEEDLES/HOOKS
US 5 (3.75 mm) needles, any type, or size required to obtain gauge
SUPPLIES
Stitch markers (2), yarn needle, stitch holder (1) or waste yarn, spare needle to hold stitches for Kitchener stitch Optional, but helpful, a small kitchen scale
LittleAngelWingLace
Row 1 (RS): K1,\*yo, k3, sk2p, k3, yo, k1, repeat from \* to end ofrow.
LITTLE ANGEL WING LACE
(Modification of theHorseshoeLace pattern from page 209 of Barbara G Walker's A TREASURY OF KNITTING PATTERNS.) Multiple of 10 sts plus 1, worked flat Row 2: Purl. Row 3: P1, \*k1, yo, k2, sk2p, k2, yo, k1, p1, repeat from \* to end ofrow. Rows 4 and 6: K1, \*p9, k1, repeat from \* to end of row. Row 5: P1, \*k2, yo, k1,sk2p, k1, yo, k2, p1, repeat from \* to end ofrow. Row 7: P1, \*k3, yo, sk2p, yo, k3, p1, repeat from \* to end of row. Row 8: Purl.
PICOTEYELETHEART
(Modification of the Peacock's Tail pattern from page 176 of Barbara G Walker's A TREASURY OF KNITTING PATTERNS.) Panel of 28 stitches, worked over 32 rows Rows 1 and 3 (WS): Knit. Row 2 and 4: Purl. Row 5: K12, k2tog, [yo] twice, ssk, k12. Row 6 and all subsequent WS rows: Purl across, but work (p1, k1) into every double yo of the preceding row. Row 7, 11, 15, 19, 23, 27 & 31: Knit. Row 9: K10, {k2tog, [yo] twice, ssk} twice, k10. Row 13: K8, {k2tog, [yo] twice, ssk} 3 times, k8. Row 17: K6, {k2tog, [yo] twice, ssk} 4 times, k6. Row 21: K4, {k2tog, [yo] twice, ssk} 5 times, k4. Row 25: K2, {k2tog, [yo] twice, ssk} 6 times, k2. Row 29: K4, {k2tog, [yo] twice, ssk} twice, k4, {k2tog, [yo] twice, ssk} twice, k4.
PATTERN NOTES
This knitted scarf, with a center panel of eyelet lace hearts, has lace borders on all sides. It is made in two pieces and grafted at the center for matching lace scallops at its ends, as well as rightside-up hearts on both halves when being worn. If your yarn is in a single skein, such as the Briar Rose Fibers "Glory Days", it would be helpful to divide it into two balls of equal weight. You will need a small kitchen type scale. Before you begin, weigh the skein (my skein of Glory Days was 30g greater than the labeled 226g). Divide the weight by two. Begin winding the first ball with a ball winder or by hand. Weigh the ball when you think that you have half of the yarn wound (remove from ball winder, if using). Adjust by winding more yarn by hand, or removing yarn, until first ball weighs the calculated half weight. Cut the yarn. Wind second ball.
It is also possible to begin knitting and weigh the first half of scarf when you think it is finished (slip the stitches off of the needle and onto a waste yarn). Then compare its weight to the weight of the remaining ball of yarn. If a scale is not an option, consider winding the yarn into two equal balls just by sight, and cutting before starting the first half of scarf.
INSTRUCTIONS
First Half of Scarf
CO 53 stitches. Selvedge Edge: The first stitch of every row of scarf should be slipped knitwise. The last stitch of every row will be knit. This makes a nice finished edge. These two extra stitches are not a part of the lace pattern.
Edging
Set up Row (WS): Sl1 kwise, purl until one stitch remains, K1. Row 1 (RS): Sl1 kwise, work Little Angel Wing Lace Pattern Row 1 over 51 stitches, k1. Row 2: Sl1 kwise, work Little Angel Wing Lace Pattern Row 2 over 51 stitches, k1. Continue to work the lace pattern with selvedge stitches through row8. Repeat Rows 1-8 two more times, for three full repeats.
Main
Set Up Row (RS): Sl1 kwise, work one repeat of Little Angel Wing Lace (row 1) over next 11 stitches, pm. K17, k2tog, k10, pm (28 stitches between markers count as row 1 of Picot Eyelet Heart panel). Work one repeat of Little Angel Wing Lace (Row 1) over next 11 stitches, k1. Next Row: Sl1 kwise, work one repeat of Little Angel Wing Lace (row 2) over next 11 stitches, slip marker. Work second row of Picot Eyelet Heart panel over next 28 stitches, slip marker. Work one repeat of Little Angel Wing Lace (Row 2) over next 11 stitches,k1. Continue as established, maintaining selvedge edge stitches, working Little Angle Wing Lace before and after the markers; and Picot Eyelet Heart between the markers. Row 32 of Picot Eyelet Heart will also be Row 8 of the fourth repeat of Little Angle Wing Lace. the first half of your yarn for another repeat. (If you get part of a heart made and are running out of yarn, it would be best to rip back to row 32.) You will need at least a yard or two of yarn for joining the halves. Most scarves made with 500 yards of yarn will have 7 hearts on each half. Optional,but desirable for heart spacing,if enough yarn remains: Work 2 additional rows in stockinette, maintaining selvedge stitches, ending with WS row. Place first half of scarf on stitch holder, waste yarn or spare needle.
Second Half of Scarf
Make same as first half. To end, if enough yarn remains: Work 1 or 3 additional rows in stockinette, maintaining selvedge stitches, ending with RS row.
FINISHING
Place first half of scarf on a spare needle. Kitchener stitch the two halves together. End the first half of scarf on a Row 32 of Picot Eyelet Lace panel, when you know you know that you no longer have enough of Weave in ends.
Blocking
Hand wash the finished scarf and spread it out flat to dry. This scarf does not really need wires and pins for blocking. Spread the wet scarf out over a large towel laid on a spare bed or unused table, shaping it into a nice straight rectangle. Give it a day or two to dry, and it will be soft and lovely to touch and wear.
DESIGNERPROFILE
I am the empty nest mom of two children (working a day job to help pay their tuition) who knits everyday (teaching knitting part time to help pay for yarn) and who currently designs knitting projects constantly...absolutely convinced that this will be my second career, and loving it all!
