Since, I've almost finished the afghan I was making, my thoughts have turned to fall projects.
Here is an easy scarf to make in any width or length and with just about any type of yarn. Variegated yarn makes the scarf look too busy, though. For my first scarf, I used #6 needles with medium yarn and cast on 21 stitches. For my second scarf, I used #8 needles with bulky yarn and cast on 15 stitches. For my third scarf, I used #6 needles with medium yarn and cast on 27 stitches.
The pattern was inspired by Jacqueline Fee’s Beaded Rib Scarf, Sweater Workshop, p227. The main changes are the increase and decrease rows – to say exactly where and how many stitches to increase and decrease – and the pattern itself – to have more knitted stitches than purled ones. (I would much rather knit than purl. ) I didn’t put fringes on either scarf – although it’s OK to do so.
To make the scarf:
Cast on a multiple of 3 stitches.
Knit across.
Then: s1pyif (slip 1as if to purl, yarn in front), *k1, kfb (knit in front and back of next stitch), kfb * (repeat * to *), end k2. (There are now 3 mod 5 stitches – three plus a multiple of five.)
Repeat pattern rows 1 and 2 below until the scarf is at least 47" long:
1: s1pyif, k2, * p2, k3 * (repeat * to *), end p2, k3.
2: s1pyif, k2, * k2, p1, k1, p1* (repeat * to *), end k5.
End with pattern row 1.
Then: s1pyif, *k1, k2tog, k2tog* (repeat * to *), end k2. (There are now the same number of stitches that were cast on.)
Finally: s1pyif, then cast off, treating the last 2 stitches as one (to square the corner).
edited 12/21/06: Instead of the last decrease row and the cast off row, cast off and decrease at the same time (pso is pass stitch over, loosely, as in the ordinary single bind off):
s1pyif, *k1, pso, k2tog, pso, ssk, pso* (repeat * to *), end k2tog, pso. Then pull yarn through and weave in loose end.
