Friday, October 30, 2009

Back from Blogging Oblivion with a Bang! (and a free pattern!)

It's the age-old dilemma: when you actually have something in life worth blogging about, you don't have the time to blog! No good way to restart other than to jump back in with both feet. So here is the pattern I finished months ago, and a link to it on Ravelry here.

Since March, I moved from Biloxi to Wichita Falls, then back to Mansfield. We recently took a very wet vacation to Maine, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. We've been fixing "those little gray pieces of... aircraft" and I've been studying, knitting, cooking, and trying to actually get moved in enough that we can start some remodeling. Yes, I know we've been in the house for a year, but I was gone for half of that, so cut me some slack! Throughout November I hope to "catch up" with the blog. Mainly knitting, gardening, and cooking content, with some travel and (hopefully) remodeling thrown in the mix. And of course, I will get back on track with WOW so Norton and Frank can get their face time!

Carrington Scarf

Here's a pattern that is reversible and works well with hand-dyed yarns.
Carrington Scarf
Finished size: 5" wide by 67" long
Materials: 1 skein Plain & Fancy Sport, 400 yards per 100 grams (used the WHOLE skein)
Needles: US size 9
Gauge: not critical, just make sure you are getting the drape you want
Notions: two stitch markers if you choose to separate border stitches from main pattern

Abbreviations:
K: Knit
P: Purl
[B]: Border
Sl1wyif: slip one stitch with yarn held in front of work
MK: Make Knot: p3tog & leave on left needle, yo, p3tog again & slip off needle
Rep: repeat
Sts: stitches
BO: bind off

Border: Repeat these two rows for first four and last four stitches each row:
Row 1: K1, sl1wyif, k1, p1 [Carrington stitch pattern] p1, k1, sl1wyif, k1
Row 2: [Sl1wyif, k1] twice [Carrington stitch pattern] [k1, sl1wyif] twice.

Directions:
CO 33 stitches using the Channel Island Cast On. If you choose to make a wider scarf, increase in increments of four stitches.

Row 1: [B] K4, p1, *k3, p1, rep from * to last 8 sts, k4 [B].
Row 2: [B] P4, k1, *p3, k1, rep from * to last 8 sts, p4 [B].
Row 3: [B] K1, *mk, p1, rep from * to last 8 sts, mk, k1 [B].
Row 4: Rep Row 2.
Row 5: [B] K2, p1, *k3, p1, rep from * to last 6 sts, k2 [B].
Row 6: [B] P2, k1, *p3, k1, rep from * to last 6 sts, p2 [B].
Row 7: [B] K2, p1, *mk, p1, rep from * to last 6 sts, k2 [B].
Row 8: Rep Row 6.

Repeat these 8 rows until scarf reaches desired length or you are nearly out of yarn. Bind off using a picot variation bind off as follows: *backward loop cast on 1 stitch, bind off 3 stitches, slip last BO stitch back to left needle and repeat from * to the end. (Bind off using k2, pass 1st over 2nd, *k1, pass 1st on right needle over new stitch, rep from *).

Chart: Read odd numbered rows right to left and even numbered rows left to right.

This pattern will eventually be available in a pdf with a more legible chart.
This pattern is intended for personal use only. Please do not sell this pattern or make items using this pattern for sale. Thanks!