by Georgie Hallam
Www.tikkiknits.com
This pattern and its name has a little story behind it. My husband gave me two skeins of gorgeous pear tree yarn from the first dyelot for our 7th wedding anniversary; the traditional gift for the seventh anniversary being wool. I've been looking for the perfect scarf pattern to do this yarn and the symbolism of the gift justice ever since. Finally I decided I wanted to knit a lace scarf . I'm sure I'm not the only knitter who is not that fond of the wrong side of a lace scarf making an unwelcome appearance. I love the delicate nature of lace scarves, but for me, a right and wrong side on a scarf, is just, well, wrong. I like a scarf to be double sided so I don't have to worry about the wrong side showing, or having to be always delicately arranging my scarf so it sits just right. I am mum to two small people who constantly demand my attention so I don't have the time for such attention to my accessories. I decided that what I really wanted was a lace scarf that looked equally good from either side; that didn't have a right or wrong side. Rather than simply knitting a lace pattern all in garter stitch, I set out to play around with creating a reversible lace pattern based on stockinette stitch. While the pattern is not exactly identical on both sides, the mix of stockinette and reverse stockinette makes a lovely combination. The dual sided nature of the scarf symbolizes the requited and two-way nature of our bond, our souls intertwined and our mutual affection.And so, I decided to name the scarf after the place he proposed, in the crater of a volcano named Mt Buninyong. Worked in dreamily soft Australian merino, this scarf is so light and airy and looks great no matter how it falls.
Yarn:
Pear Tree Supersoft Merino [Australian Merino; 22O yd/ 201 m per 100g skein]; color: Turkey; 1 skein. OR WOOLganics Organic Merino [Organic Australian Merino; 113 yd/103 m per 50g skein]; color: Kundalini; 2 skeins.
Needles:
1 set US #8/5mm straight needles
Tension:
19 stitches to 4 inches/10cm in stocking stitch. Tension is not crucial for this pattern.
Finished Measurement: (blocked)
Width:6 -7 inches. Length: 56 inches approx.
Notes:
The lace pattern is worked over a simple 12 row repeat. While it uses basic increasing and decreasing, it does require concentration as both purl and knit stitches are worked on both sides. The increase and decrease stitches are only worked on the one side. Full repeats of the lace pattern are not always completed on each row. The scarf stitch count of 25 stitches is maintained throughout the scarf. The scarf can be knit by either following the instructions or the chart. NoTE: the scarf does have a 4 stitch garter border which is not included in the chart.
Abbreviations:
k: knit p: purl yo: yarn over
Working the yarn overs:
The yarn overs need to be worked differently depending on which two stitches they are worked between. Between a knit and a purl stitch: Working yarn will be at the back after the knit stitch. Bring it to the front between the two needles, wrap it over the right needle and back to the front again. Purl the next stitch. Between a purl and a knit stitch: Working yarn will be at the front after the purl stitch. Leave it there and knit the next stitch, bringing the yarn to the back over the right needle. p2tog: purl two together. Purl two stitches together as if one, to decrease by one stitch. ssp: Slip two stitches knitwise one at a time from the left needle to the right. Slip the two stitches back to the left needle in the same position,(keeping them twisted). Purl these two stitches through the back loops. sll: slip one stitch from the left needle to the right without knitting it. pw: purl wise. psso: pass slipped stitch over. Pass the slipped stitch over stitch just knit and drop it off the needle to decrease a Stitch. k2tog: knit two together. Knit two stitches together as if one to decrease by one stitch. ssk: slip slip knit. Slip two stitches individually knitwise from the left needle to the right, then knit them together by inserting the left needle through the loops from the left-hand side. Some knitters find they get a neater stitch by slipping the first stitch knitwise and the second purlwise.
Lace pattern:
Row 1: (RS) k5, (yo, pl, p2tog, pl, ssp, pl, yo, kl) twice, k4. Row 2: (WS) k4, (p2, k5, pl) twice, pl, k4. Row 3: (RS) k5, (kl, yo, p2tog, pl, ssp, yo, k2) twice, k4. Row 4: (WS) k4, (p3, k3, p2) twice, p1, k4. Row 5: (RS) k5, 9k2,y0, sl1(pw), p2tog, pss0,yo, k3) twice, k4. Row 6: (WS) k4 (p4, kl, p3) twice, pl, k4. Row 7: (RS) k5, (k2tog, kl, yo, pl, yo, kl, ssk, k1) twice, k4. Row 8: (WS)k4, (p3, k3, p2) twice, pl, k4. Row 9: (RS) k5, (k2tog, yo, p3, yo, ssk, k1) twice, k4. Row 10: (WS) k4, (p2, k5, p1) twice, pl, k4. Row 1l: (Rs) k4, k2tog, yo, p5, yo, sll, k2tog, psso, yo, p5, yo, ssk, k4. Row 12: (WS)k4, (pl, k7) twice, pl, K4.
Chart and chart notes:
The 4 stitch garter border IS NOT included in chart. After knitting the first four stitches work the chart's 17 stitches. Knit the last four stitches. Odd numbered rows are treated as the RS, even though there really is no right side to this scarf.
Repeat the stitches inside this box, until last 8 stitches.
Knitting the scarf:
TIP: To help you identify easily which row you are up to, mark the odd row side with a safety pin. Alternatively, you could knit with two different colour needles, one colour for odd rows and one for even rows. Knit 5 rows. Using your 5mm needle cast on 25 stitches loosely. Repeat rows 1 - 12 27 times or until scarf measures desired length.
Knit 5 rows. Cast off loosely.
Finishing:
Weave in ends and block. @ Georgie Hallam 2010. All rights reserved. Please respect the moral rights of independent designers. This pattern is provided free for personal home use only; you may make garments from it for your family, as gifts or to donate to charities. If you are interested in selling items made from this pattern, cottage license information is available on my website: Www.tikkiknits.com For pattern support, please visit my group on Ravelry, Tikki Love or email me at georgie@tikkiknits.com. You can find me on Ravelry as tikki
You can also find me at: www.tikkiknits.com http://tikkifabricaddict.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/tikkiknits Many many thanks to the wonderful group of testers for this pattern who provided much valuable advice, feedback and support; Rachel, Shannon, Fiona, Alice and Casey.
