Decembre scarf: Knitty Deep Fall 2010

by Meghan Dougherty

I designed this scarf when I was studying in Strasbourg, France. December in Strasbourg is abuzz with a Christmas market, German and French tourists, and blasts of arctic air. The secret to surviving the holiday season is generous servings of tarte flambée, plenty of mulled wine, and a thick, woolly scarf to keep your neck toasty as you ride your bike through Strasbourg’s narrow, cobblestone streets.

To keep myself warm while fitting in with the cosmopolitan students and professors at my university, I developed this ribbed scarf using a unique stranded technique to make it reversible. Each side of the scarf has a different traditional Fair Isle pattern.

The challenging part of this scarf is following the chart, because it doesn’t look like it makes sense on paper. But once you work a few rows, you can see the lovely Fair Isle snowflakes taking shape in your knitting.

model: Meghan Dougherty

photos: Daniel Jackson

SIZE
One

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Length: 64 inches
Width: 8.5 inches

MATERIALS
Yarn
Blue Sky Alpaca Worsted Hand Dyes [50% royal alpaca, 50% merino; 100yd/91m per 100g skein]
[MC] #2026 Petunia; 5 skeins
[CC] #2025 Charcoal; 1 skein

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
1 set US #8/5mm straight needles

Notions
Yarn needle

GAUGE
28 sts/25 rows = 4" in 1x1 Rib, using US #8/5mm needles, with ribbing fully contracted (relaxed and unstretched)

Note: Gauge given is approximate. It is not critical to achieve the given gauge for this project; however, you should use needles that are slightly smaller than the recommended size for your yarn. Gauge given by the manufacturer for the yarn used is 16 sts = 4” in stockinette st using US #9/5.5 mm needles.

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

1x1 Rib (worked over an odd number of stitches):
RS Rows: [K1, p1] to last stitch, k1.
WS Rows: [P1, k1] to last stitch, k1.

Instructions for the Long-Tail Cast On method can be found here.

Charts
The chart for this pattern is very large and fits on a letter-sized page.
Click here and print the resulting page.

DIRECTIONS

Using long tail method and MC, CO 61 sts.

Work 4 rows 1x1 Rib.

Mark RS of work. Even though scarf is reversible, it is important to keep track of RS and WS when following chart.

Work Rows 1-29 of chart.

Important: When knitting a st, hold yarn not in use to back of work. When purling a st, hold yarn not in use to front of work.

Using MC only, work in 1x1 Rib until work measures 58 inches, or approx. 6 inches less than desired length, ending with a WS row.

Work Rows 1-29 of chart.

Work 4 rows 1x1 Rib using MC only. BO all sts in pattern.

FINISHING
Weave in ends. Block very lightly, if desired; be sure to leave ribbing fully contracted, as any widthwise stretching will distort appearance of color pattern.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

designername Meghan is a long-time knitter and runner, an avaricious reader, and a frequent traveller. And a lawyer. And sometimes she swims with sharks.

She can be found on Ravelry as themegnapkin, and on her blog.