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For the mulberry scarf pictured in the last post, I wanted a little more variation in the thickness and ruffles. I worked with 12 stitches, and “cast on” as described in the last post. After working 3 rows straight through every mesh hole, I changed the pattern just a bit to add more fullness. Next two rows, work every other mesh hole, thus adding more flounces. Third row, switch back to every hole.
Another effect that I like about this is that it stretches a bit more lengthwise, so the ruffles don’t overlap as closely. Just continue on with 2 rows every other mesh hole, 1 row every mesh hole. Very nice.
When you get near the end of your ball, plan for your bind off with the triangle fold end the way you started. Now if you think about it, you’ll bind off just as usual, but what to do with that last stitch?? Oops! There’s no tail to pull through. What I finally did was just to tack it securely to the previous row with a needle & thread.
Next post, working with Flamenco and a second yarn….
Yes, I do it too, and there’s that sort of panicky feeling. Can I really finish that ________ in time? (You fill in the blank) But we just got in this exciting new yarn from Trendsetter called Flamenco. Reminiscent of ChaCha, it’s great for quick-to-make scarves but with a very different and very feminine look. It looks like a tape yarn in the ball, but it actually is meant to be pulled open and knit like ChaCha through the loops on the long edge.
This solid color scarf that I created took just one ball and can be done in just a few hours. It measures about 40″ long and about 5″ wide. For a longer or wider scarf, use 2 balls.
“Knitting” with this yarn takes a bit of getting used to, but after a while you’ll find it’s no more difficult than ChaCha to knit. There are, though, a few tips I’d like to share with you.
You can use a needle up to size 10 US, but I recommend an eight or nine, and no smaller. This is because it’s a bit slippery and if your loops are big around a small needle, you’ll be more likely to drop one, and you really don’t want to do that. If you are using a contrast yarn, use the size that matches the gauge of the contrast yarn.
Flamenco comes in balls, and you don’t have to rewind it like ChaCha, but you have to stretch the yarn out crosswise so that you can see the mesh. It still will want to close up on either side, but that’s ok. Unwrap about a yard at a time, pulling it from side to side until it’s about 3″ wide.
To hide the beginning of the yarn, the best results will come with a mitered triangle fold. Lay out the stretched tape with the raw edge at your right hand. Pick up the lower right corner and fold diagonally up and match the spaces to the top edge. You will now have 3 or 4 spaces that will have double threads along the top, and a folded diagonal edge on the end. You have to remember to treat the double threads as one for the first two rows.
The most simple scarf comes from threading your needle through every opening along one edge, for as many stitches as you want. Turn, insert the right hand needle and place the next opening on the needle and pull through. (Those of you who carry yarn in your left hand will have an easier time of this than the rest of us.) Continue across (don’t forget the double threads on the end!), and when you look at it on the needle don’t panic. After these two rows it will look all floppy and stretched out, but once you continue with the 3rd row it will take shape into a consistent width.
Next post: how I did the scarf above a little differently.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! We’re having a small-ish homey Thanksgiving here with Evan, and enjoying ourselves thoroughly.
Just taking a minute here to post a simple pattern I knit up the other day as I was thinking about a Christmas gift for one of my sisters in law. It’s very quick and easy, so it’s a great addition to your party wardrobe when you want just a little shimmer.
Flirty Wrap
One size fits all. Very easy. Combines knit and crochet. 
Materials: Lang Lanalux, 6 balls in your choice of color photo shows copper/black
Needles: US 11 and a size J crochet hook
Gauge: Not of importance unless you knit very tightly or loosely.
Instructions
Stitch Pattern:
Row 1 (RS): K2, *K3, yo, K3tog tbl, yo* end K5
Row 2 & 4 (WS): K2 P to last 2 st, K2
Row 3: K2, * yo, K3tog tbl, yo, K3,* end K2
Wrap: CO 43 st. K 2 rows, then begin pattern. Repeat pattern 34 times (136 rows) then K 2 rows. BO, but do not break yarn.
Edging: With J crochet hook, ch 3 (counts as 1 dc). DC 4 in corner st. DC 5 in 1st st and every other st around the wrap, working an extra 5 DC in corners to maintain the ruffle. Finish off.
Finishing: Weave in all ends.
Abbreviations
| BO | Bind off |
| CO | Cast on |
| Dc | Double Crochet |
| k | Knit |
| yo | Yarn over |
| Tbl | Through back loops |
| K3tog | Knit 3 together |
| RS | right side |
| WS | Wrong side |
| st (sts) | stitch (st) |
Please respect the copyrights associated with this pattern. It is for your personal use only.
W’e've really gotten connected with the magazines–Cast On, Interweave Knits, Verena…. These are the biggest bargain in knitting today. Just take a look at the new Cast On for February-April 2009.
Cast On Feb2009
This is the magazine of The Knitting Guild of America–TKGA– and honestly, they aren’t very good at promoting themselves, but they’re learning! This magazine is a great value, whether you buy it singly or subscribe. And TKGA has so much to offer!
Cast On has been redesigned/refocused to emphasize all the great educational benefits of this organization. There are more technical articles than before, and they span all types of knitters from absolute novice to expert.
And you know, there was a time BEFORE Ravelry, where Social Knitworking took place in your local TKGA Guild. These groups are still there in your town, or if they aren’t, why not start one?
We’ve gotten some more of the new patterns from Louet up on the website, and working on this has made me realize just how much I admire the work of Melissa Leapman.
Empire waist pullover by Melissa Leapman
Melissa can take the easiest stitches and create a must-have sweater, and the next day produce a fascinating 2 color cable:
Man's 2 color cabled pullover
Now some of you know that I have mostly men in my life–husband, brothers, sons, nephew. And so I admit right up front that none of them would wear this sweater as pictured (too much contrast). But I could knit a half dozen in other colors: black & charcoal, teal & emerald, caribou & sandalwood, emerald & island moss, burgundy & black, caribbean blue & aqua, even cream & champagne!
There are quite a few new Louet patterns by Melissa, from simple to challenging, and they’re all worth a look. And kudos to Louet for commissioning some new designers for their yarns. Take a look and if any appeal to you, post your comments here!
