Sidewinder Ripples Scarf
by Peggy Jean Kaylor
Materials:
\* Red Heart Ltd. Super Saver Solids, $100\%$ acrylic, worsted weight yarn: about % skein each: #0319 cherry red & #0311 white. US $10\%$ knitting needles. Cable needle.
Notes:
\* I recommend use of the knit-on, long-tail or double cast on methods for this scarf. These give an edge that is close in appearance to the edge obtained with a traditional bind-off. Be sure to work it snugly but not tightly and you want to stretch it to its max when you finish. This stretching will make it more closely match the width of the bind off edge. I do not recommend use of the backward-loop or single cast on methods for this scarf. It would definitely look quite different from the bind off edge and have lots more stretch, resulting in a scarf with one end that is much wider than the other. All color changes are done on the row before you cable because then they will always be more successfully hidden and thus perfectly reversible. (if shorter or longer color blocks or stripes are desired, this pattern can be easily modified - just remember to always change colors on the row before you cable.) + Whenever you work a cable in this scarf, you will be crossing 2 knit stitches over 2 purl stitches. In the Left Twist Cable, the first 2 stitches are to be purled so they will be slipped purl-wise to the cable needle and held in back of the work until after the next 2 stitches have been knit, at which point you will purl the 2 stitches from the cable needle. In the Right Twist Cable, the first 2 stitches are to be knit so they will be slipped purlwise to the cable needle and held in front of the work until after the next 2 stitches have been purled, at which point you will knit the 2 stitches from the cable needle.
Gauge:
\* Make a swatch: Using either color, cast on 32 stitches and work in overall cable pattern (repeating rows 1 - 6) for 29 rows. Check gauge, unblocked: 23 stitches and 19 rows ${\bf\delta}={\bf4}$ inches. Adjust needle size to achieve gauge. Your goal is actually a fabric with a desirable thickness and drape. My gauge is what I feel gives the fabric the most desirable thickness and drape. Remember, this is a scarf and gauge isn't crucial to how the garment fits. Also, remember that this is a cable pattern and if you don't complete at least three or four cable rows, you won't get an accurate gauge from your swatch ... nor will you have a good evaluation of the fabric's thickness and drape.
Abbreviations:
BO bind off in pattern (knitting the knits and purling the purls). co cast on using your choice of the 'knit on', long-tail' or'chain' cast on methods. kknit. ppurl. LTC Left Twist Cable (see Special Stitches). RTC Right Twist Cable (see Special Stitches). sI # p slip the number of stitches purl-wise. st(s) stitch(es).
Special Stitches:
Left Twist Cable (LTC): Sl 2 p onto cable needle and hold them in back of work, k next 2 sts from left needle, p 2 from cable needle. Right Twist Cable (RTC): $S|\,2\,\mathsf{p}$ onto cable needle and hold them in front of work, p next 2 sts from left needle, k 2 from cable needle.
Instructions for the basic scarf:
co Cast on 36 using your choice of the ‘knit on', long-tail' or'chain' cast on methods. Rows 1 - 5 (K 2, p 2) 9 times across. Row 6 (RTC) 9 times across. Rows 7 - 11 (P 2, k 2) 9 times across. Row 12 (LTC) 9 times across. Repeat these 12 rows for scarf, changing colors only on rows 5 or 11. When scarf is long enough, bind off in pattern [either (k 2, p 2) or (p 2, k 2) as is consistent with the immediately previous rows] without changing colors on either a row 5 or a row 11. Fasten off, work in ends. For the Special Olympics scarf pictured: Your color changes willalways happen one row before you cable; except on the last color block when you will continue to work in the same color (R) through the bind off in the established (p 2, k 2) stitch pattern of the previous rows. You will always be cabling on every row 6 and every row 12 of the basic scarf stitch pattern repeat, except during the bind off row. Every fourth cabling row worked will be the second row of thenewcolor.
BO row 72
