I started knitting this while watching "Oliver Twist" on Masterpiece Theater....and thus the name. Bill Sykes is one of the characters. (played in this version by the impeccable Tom Hardy) Sykes is a dark, seedy fellow but not without his moments. He's as much a product of his circumstances as any of the characters and he's not without a heart and very charismatic. (or, maybe that's just how Hardy played him..no comment) Likewise this scarf is dark and complex, with twisting paths and a jagged, broken rib edge. It's a unisex design but unlike many of those it's not so boring you want to jab your eyes out while knitting it. The wrong side of this scarf lays very flat and it is easily foldable.
materials
220 yards worsted weight yarn-I used dark grey wool which I koolaid dyed with blue lemonade and splotches of Wilton's in complimentary colours. If you decide to make your scarf longer than 6O" you may need more yarn. size 9 needle notions as needed
gauge
5 stitches per inch blocked...about 7" wide lightly stretched (for those of you who don't want to block a swatch, wink wink)
construction
-cast on 37 stitches (I used long tail) -knit 8 edge rows -knit pattern repeat 13 times (aprox 6") -knit 8 edge rows -castoff edge row#1, 3, 7, 9: k1, p1 row#2, 4, 6, 8: p1, k1
pattern
-on even rows repeat the stitches as they face you, knit the knits and purl the purls. row#1,3: k1, p1, kl, p1, kl, p4, [kl, p5]x3, k1, p4, kl, p1, kl, pl, kl row#5, 7, 21, 23: p1, kl, p1, kl, p4, [kl, p1, k1, p3]x4, p1, kl, p1, k1, pl row#9, 11, 17, 19: kl, p1, kl, p1, kl, p2, [kl, p3, k1, p1]x4, p1, kl, p1, kl, p1l, k1 row#13, 15: p1, k1, p1, k1, p2, k1 [p5, k1lx4, p2, k1, p1, k1, pl
In this picture I am wearing it folded in half and then wrapped around my neck and looped through the middle for a cowl-collar effect..very Dickensian!
