KAARISILTA
The Arch Bridge Kerchief
The Arch Bridge Kerchief is worked with short rows starting from the upper edge. Feel free to play with the colors - why not to try a gradient colored yarn instead of a solid one! The kerchief was named after the poem ‘Kaarisilta' by the Finnish poet Aale Tynni.
Yarn and yardage
Novita Florica (100 % wool, 50 g / 175 m), 100 grams in gray (main color) and 50 grams in off-white (contrasting color) You can choose basically any yarn and matching needle. Please note that using yarns that differ significantly from the one suggested may result in different size and yardage.
Gauge
Gauge isn't too significant but it affects the final size of the kerchief. In the kerchief shown in the pictures approximately 17 sts and 40 rows in garter stitch equals 10 cm / 4" after blocking.
Needle and hook
at least 80 cm / 32" long circular needle in size 4 mm / Us6 (or approximately 1 mm larger than recommended for the yarn chosen) crochet hook in size 4,5 mm / Us7 (or approximately 0,5 mm larger than the needle chosen) for crochet cast on (not necessary if other cast on method is used)
Size
Size of the kerchief depends on the yarn and needle chosen. At the given gauge the size is approximately 165 cm / 65" (upper edge) x 30 cm / 12" (from upper edge to the tip).
Before you start
Read the instructions carefully before casting on. Look at the close up picture below to understand what is meant by terms 'wedge row' and 'stripe row'. In this pattern short rows are worked using wrap and turn technique, referred as 'w&t'. If the technique is unfamiliar to you, please refer to comprehensive tutorials in the internet. During the progress of the work the wrapped stitches can be either knit together with the wraps or knit as such leaving the wrap untouched. These options are not mentioned in the instructions. Please note that the instructions given for any stripe contain both a right side (Rs) and a wrong side (ws) short row.
INSTRUCTIONS
With main color crochet a chain of at least 276 sts; excess stitches can be easily undone while finishing the work. (Alternatively cast on 276 sts using any other cast on method.) Transfer the stitch from the hook onto circular needle and pick up 275 sts along the chain. RS: Knit all 276 stitches. Turn work. WS: Knit until 2 sts remain, k2tog. Turn work and start striping with contrasting color on the right side of the work.
1st contrasting color stripe (off-white)
RS: knit until 4 sts remain, w&t. WS: knit until 2 sts remain, k2tog.
1st main color stripe (gray)
wedge row 1 Rs: k6, w&t. WS: k4, k2tog. stripe row Rs: knit until 4 sts remain before the stitch wrapped with contrasting color, w&t. Ws: knit until 2 sts remain, k2tog.
2nd contrasting color stripe (off-white)
RS: knit until 4 sts remain before the stitch wrapped with main color, w&t. WS: knit until 2 sts remain, k2tog.
2nd main color stripe (gray)
wedge row 1 Rs: k6, w&t. WS: k4, k2tog. wedge row 2 Rs: k12, w&t. WS: knit until 2 sts remain, k2tog. stripe row RS: knit until 4 sts remain before the stitch wrapped with contrasting color, w&t. Ws: knit until 2 sts remain, k2tog. Continue striping with contrasting and main colors. Work contrasting color stripes as established in the 2nd contrasting color stripe instructions. Start each main color stripe with a growing wedge. The wedge grows in each stripe following the same logic: the 3rd main color stripe has 3 wedge rows of which the first starts with k6, the second with k12 and the third with k18. In the 4th main color stripe the first three wedge rows are identical with the wedge rows of the 3rd main color stripe and the 4th wedge row is started with k24. Thus each main color stripe has one more wedge row than the previous main color stripe and the number of wedge rows is the same as the number of the stripe. In each wedge row the number of knit stitches increases by 6 compared with the previous wedge row. For example in the 1oth main color stripe there are altogether 10 wedge rows and there are 10 \* 6 = 60 knit stitches at the beginning of the last wedge row. Every main color stripe is finished with a stripe row. After finishing 12 main color stripes work one more contrasting color stripe. Cut contrasting color yarn and finish the kerchief with main color as follows: RS: knit until 4 sts remain before the wrapped stitch, w&t. WS: knit until 2 sts remain, k2tog. Repeat RS and WS rows until there are 7 sts left before the wrapped stitch and you have just worked a WS row. On the right side k3, w&t. On the wrong side knit all stitches. Finish the kerchief by knitting all stitches along the edge on the right side and wrong sides once. Cast off loosely on the right side.
Finishing
Undo any extra chain stitches if necessary. Soak and let dry flat. Weave in ends.
Tips
As the main color stripes become wider it's recommended to wrap the contrasting color yarn with the main color yarn frequently. A relatively decent outcome is achieved when the contrasting color yarn is wrapped with main color yarn on the wrong side just before the last two stitches are knit together. Pull the contrasting color yarn slightly to avoid showing between the stitches on the right side. Do not, however, pull too tight. You can also cut contrasting color after each stripe and weave in ends.
Abbreviations
cO - cast on BO - bind off st(s) - stitch(es) k - knit k2tog - knit 2 stitches together RS - right side WS - wrong side w&t - wrap and turn
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