A Taste of Estonia: Detailed Instructions for a Complex Knitted Lace Scarf with Traditional Patterns

《 A taste of Estonia >

by Danielle c.

Sources This scarf originated from the combination of three knitted lace patterns from two distinct sources : On the one hand, the 《 Lily of the Valley > and Trinu Lace Edge > patterns from the book Knitted lace of Estonia, written by Nancy Bush after extensive research on traditional lace kniting in Estonia, with the valuable contribution of lace knitters in Haapsalu, who worked out and transcribed patterns for her, mainly from original pieces of knitting. And on the other hand, the 《 Spider Lace Repeat > pattern published by Evelyn A. Clark in her Evelyn Clark Designs collection.

Structure of thescarf (see Scarf outline on page 5) :

The main, central part of the scarf is designed as a large garter-stitch frame enclosing two smaller frames featuring the Lily of the Valley > motif. The latter is highlighted by a flowery chain of 《 Spider lace > repeats running around each of these two smaller frames. After a provisional cast-on, the knitting starts with this central part, and once the larger frame is complete, goes on with the first (upper) 《 Triinu Lace Edge >. Then, the second (lower) 《 Trinu Lace Edge 》 is added to the opposite side of the central part, after picking up the stitches from the provisional cast-on. - Craft : knitting - Skills : provisional cast-on with crochet hook and picking up stitches from crochet chain, knit 2 together bind-off, lace knitting with nups. - Suggested yarn : BC Garn : Silkbloom extra fino (45% mulberry silk and 55% merino ; 300 m/50 g per skein) quantity : 840 m. or : Baby Alpaca (100% baby alpaca ; 250 m/50 g per skein) quantity : 800 m. -Needles :3mm/US 2.5 - Size :190 x 35 cm for a scarf with 17 repeats of the < Lily of the Valley >> pattern. Notes · The written instructions below follow the progress of the knitting from beginning to end of the scarf. Yet, for the main, central part of the scarf, you may think it more convenient to knit from the full-width' diagrams on pages 7-8 and 9- 10, knowing that only the first 57 and last 55 rows are charted, since rows 58 to 476 are an uninterrupted sequence of the < Lily of the Valley 》 and 《 Spider Lace 》> repeats, that can easily be followed from respective separate charts. · Instructions are given for a scarf with 17 repeats of the 《Lily of the Valley 》 pattern, and 62 repeats of the 《 Spider lace 》) pattern, chart 2, vertically. If you want a shorter scarf, you can reduce it to 15 (or even 13) repeats of the < Lily of the Valley > pattern. Then, you will have to do 55 (or 48) repeats of the 《 Spider lace 》 pattern, chart 2, and start the upper central part of the scarf from row 449, or 393 respectively. · All along the scarf, odd-nb. rows are on RS, and even-nb. rows on WS and purled, except for the garter stitch borders. · For the central part, all rows start in garter stitch (larger frame) : slip the Ist stitch purlwise with yarn in front, except for the very 1st row (after cast-on), where you have to knit the 1st stitch. ·Notes on 《 Spider lace 》 repeat, chart 1 : a) rows 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 & 18 of the scarf diagram correspond to rows 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8 of chart 1 on p. 6. b) rows 515, 516, 517, 518, 519, 520, 521 & 522 of the scarf diagram correspond to rows 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8 of chart 1 p. 6. · Note on the 13rd and 517th rows of the central part of the scarf (corresponding to 3rd row of separate chart 1, p. 6) \* after the 4 garter-st. on the right : k2tog instead of k1. \*\* before the last 4 garter-st. of the row, in 13th repeat of chart 1 : do \ (sl 1, kl, psso), instead of K (sl 1, k2, psso).

Written instructions

-Provisional cast-on with crochet hook

- With a piece of smooth waste yarn (preferably cotton), make a 93-loop crochet chain ; tie a knot at the end of the chain, so as to be able to identify this end later - this is where you will have to start unravelling the crochet chain while picking up the 87 stitches for the second 《 Trinu lace 》 edge - .

- Then, leaving 3 st. on either end of the crochet chain, pick up 87 st. through the bumps along the back of the chain, with required needles and working yarn. This is the cast-on row (WS of the scarf/knot on the right). ;ht side (knot on the left), and start knitting the main (central) part of 1

Outer garter stitch border

Rows 1 to 9 : knit all 87 st., knitting the first st. of the first row, but slipping the first st. of the next rows purlwise with yarn in front. Row 10 : k 4 - purl 79 - k 4. The vertical side of the outer border starts being apparent. Note : The outer garter stitch border (larger frame) starts with these 87 knit stitches on rows 1 to 9. From the 1oth row onwards, it will go on vertically with the 4 knit stitches on either side of the central part until row 522 has been reached, and will close with another 87-stitch stripfromrows523 to531. Rows 11 to 18 : 《 Spider lace > repeat >, chart 1 (see notes on p. 2) Work lower horizontal < Spider lace 》 border as follows (reading from right to left) : k 4 (left side garter-st. border) - 《 Spider lace > rep., chart 1 x 13 times\*\* - k1\* - k 4 (right side garter-st. border) \* and \*\* : se notes p. 2

Vertical < Spider lace > border and inner garter-stitch borders

From row 19 onwards, the 《 Spider lace 》 pattern is continued vertically, with repeats of chart 2 above the 1st, 7th and 13th repeats of chart 1 (see diagram p. 7-8). For a scarf with 17 repeats of the < Lily of the Valley > pattern, you will have to do a total of 62 《 Spider lace 》> repeats. (for a shorter scarf seenotes onp. 2). Rows 19 to 27 are worked as follows : k 4 - 《<Spider lace 》 rep., chart 2 - k 29 -《 Spider lace 》 rep., chart 2 - k 29 - 《Spider lace > rep., chart 2 - k 4. The 29 knit st. form the horizontal 4-ridge garter-st. strip starting the inner garter-st. border (smaller frame) that will enclose the 《 Lily of the Valley 》 pattern. Row 27 marks the beginning of the 2"d vertical < Spider lace > rep., chart 2 (above 1st, 7th & 13th rep. of chart 1). And once this row is completed, the 4 garter-stitch ridges of the lower inner borders of the scarf appear clearly. Row 28 : the vertical sides of the inner borders are introduced as follows : k 4 -《 Spider lace 》> rep., chart 2 - k4- p 21 - k 4 -< Spider lace 》> rep., chart 2 - k 4 - p 21 - k 4-《 Spider lace > rep., chart 2 - k 4. The “p 21′ section announces the < Lily of the Valley > pattern.

《 Lily of the Valley > pattern

Row 29 : this row starts the < Lily of the Valley >> chart as follows : k4 -《Spider lace 》rep., chart 2 - k4-《Lily of the Valley > chart - k4 -《 Spider lace 》 rep., chart 2 - k4 -《Lily of the Valley 》 chart - k 4 -《 Spider lace > rep., chart 2 - k 4. Go on following this pattern until 17 rep. of the 《 Lily of the Valley 》> chart have been completed vertically, on either side of the centre 《 Spider lace 》 vertical strip : you have now reached row 504, and the vertical sides of the inner garter-st. borders are completed to0.

UPPERCENTRALPART.

Inner garter stitch borders

Rows 505 to 513 are worked as follows : k 4 -《 Spider lace 》> rep., chart 2 - k 29 - 《 Spider lace 》> rep., chart 2 - k29 - 《 Spider lace 》> rep., chart 2 - k 4. The 29 knit st. form the horizontal 4-ridge garter-st. strip above the last rep. of the 《 Lily of the Vally > sequence, closing the inner garter-st. border (smaller frame) around it. Row 514 : k 4 - purl 79 - k 4. Both inner garter-st. and vertical 《 Spider lace 》 borders are now complete. Upper horizontal < Spider lace > border Rows 515 to 522 : < Spider lace > repeat, chart 1 (see notes on p. 2) Work upper horizontal 《 Spider lace 》 border as follows (reading from right to left) : k 4 (left side garter st. border) - 《 Spider lace 》 rep., chart 1 x 13 times\*\* - k1\* - k 4 (right side garter st. border) \* and \*\* : see notes p. 2 knit 87 st. (garter-stitch) slipping the first st. of every row purlwise with yarn in front (note on p. 2).

TRIINULACEEDGESANDBIND-OFF

Upper lace edge of the scarf

Row 532 : purl 87, adding 24 st. as follows : purl 1 - incr.1 - purl 2 - incr. 1 - \*purl 4-incr.1\*, from \* to \* X 10 purl 1 (middle stitch) - incr. 1 \*purl 4-incr.1\*, from \* to \* X 10 purl 2 - incr. 1 - purl 1 87 st. + 24 increases = 111 stitches - Now start the upper lace edge of the scarf, following the 《 Trinu lace edge 》 chart p. 6. - Then, bind off with double yarn, using the k2tog bind-off, with WS facing : slip first st., knit second st., \*knit these 2 st. together by inserting the left-hand needle into the front of them from left to right and knitting them together through back loop with right needle, then knit the next st.\*. Repeat from \* to \* until all st. are secured. Cut yarn and pull tail through last loop to secure. Lower lace edge of the scarf Add the lower lace edge of the scarf as follows : - First, starting from the knotted end of the provisional cast-on crochet chain, pick up the 87 live stitches with a double-pointed needle, simultaneously undoing the crochet chain. - Then, starting from the opposite end of the double-pointed needle, purl one row on WS, doing the 24 increases as you did for the upper lace edge of the scarf (see instructions for row 532). You now have : 87 st. + 24 increases = 111 stitches. -Now start the lower lace edge of the scarf, following the 《 Trinu lace edge > chart, and bind off as you did for the upper lace edge.

List of abbreviations

《Spider lace 》 repeat,chart 1

《Spider lace 》 repeat,chart 1 : 13th repeat only

《Spider lace 》 repeat,chart 2

《 Lily of the Valley > repeat

《Triinu lace edge 》 repeat

Key to chart understanding

centre stitch of the scarf

centre stitch of the scarf Right upper central part of the scarf