Page 61 - WCM 2019 Winter

If you’ve never knit cables before, don’t let them scare you! I promise it’s not as hard as you’re imagining. I’m serious. It’s easier than braiding hair or filing your taxes, so it’s all going to be ok. Still, If you feel like you need a little help, remember, there’s this little store called Fiber & Vine on Main Street, Norway just waiting to help you. Ready? Let’s cast on!
Sizes: Medium (Long) Measurements: 7x72 (7 x 80)”
Note about sizing: The scarf pictured is the longer version. Scarf will stretch to be even longer once wearing. The medium length scarf is long enough to wrap once around the neck. The longer version will wrap around twice. Both are cozy and dramatic.
Materials
Main Yarn: Cascade Yarns Eco Baby Llama Chunky (100% Baby
Llama, 109yards) Color #1; 4 skeins
Contrast Yarn: Ella Rae Silky Kid (76% Kid Mohair, 24% Silk, 219 yards) color #13; 1 skein
Fringe Yarn: A few small skeins of scrap yarn to use for fringe OR an additional skein of your main yarn.
Needles: US #10 Straight needles
Other Supplies: Cable needle, Stitch markers, Tapestry needle,
Crochet hook for adding fringe, if desired
Gauge: 14 stitches = 4” in garter stitch. Gauge is not crucial to this project.
Abbreviations Used: pm: Place marker, sm: Slip marker,
WS: Wrong side, RS: Right side, K: Knit, P: Purl, C4B: Slip
next 4 stitches onto cable needle and hold in back. Knit next 4 stitches, then knit 4 stitches from cable needle. C4F: Slip next 4 stitches onto cable needle and hold in front. Knit next 4 stitches, then knit 4 stitches from cable needle.
Instructions
Using main yarn cast on 10 stitches, pm, using main yarn and contrast yarn held together cast on 12 stitches, pm, using only main yarn, cast on 10 stitches.
From now on, the stitches between markers will always be worked with both yarns held together. The rest of the scarf is worked with main yarn only. When not using the mohair, leave it hanging where it is until it is time to use it again. You’ll find it’s exactly in the right spot when you need to use it next.
Row 1 and all odd numbered rows (WS): K10, sm, P to marker, sm, K10.
Row 2: (RS): K10, sm, C4B, K4, sm, K10.
Row 4: K10, sm, K to marker, sm, K10. Row 6: K10, sm, K4, C4F, sm, K10. Row 8: K10, sm, K to marker, sm, K10.
Repeat these 8 rows until scarf measures 36 (40)” Repeat rows 1-4 once more.
Here is where we switch up the cable braid so it looks the same on both sides when you’re wearing it.
Row 1 and all odd numbered rows (WS): K10, sm, p to marker, sm, k10.
Row 2: K10, sm, C4F, K4, sm, K10. Row 4: K10, sm, K to marker, sm, K10. Row 6: k10, sm, K4, C4B, sm, K10. Row 8: K10, sm, K to marker, sm, K10.
Repeat these 8 rows until scarf reaches 72 (80)”.
Finishing: Bind off in pattern. Use tapestry needle to sew in tails and block as desired. I don’t like my scarves to stretch when blocking, so I just lay my finished work out on a few towels, lightly spray it with water and let dry. It’s just enough blocking to set the stitches and make your work look a lot better.
Fringe: I’ve already mentioned that I raided my scrap yarn bin to make my fringe, and I definitely recommend it. Grab a couple of coordinating neutral colors and one or two bold colors and see how it looks. Play with size and texture, like mixing a thin mohair with a thick and thin wool, or a shiny silk with a tweedy cotton for fun, unexpected and dramatic looking fringe. Rather than measuring each set of fringe individually, I find an object to wrap my yarn around, in this case a boring yellow legal pad. Wrapping around something sturdy like this keeps all the strands the same length (without rulers!) plus you can make a bunch at once.
I used five different strands of yarn held together to make 30 fringe sets, 15 for each end of the scarf. I distributed my fringe evenly across the bottoms of my scarf, placing a fringe set just about every other stitch or so. Depending on how many strands of yarn you are using and what your style is, you might have to play around to get the right look.
To attach fringe, I fold a set in half and use a crochet hook to pull the loop through the base of my scarf. I then tuck the ends of the fringe through the loop and gently pull the fringe away from the scarf to tighten the loop. This is much easier to understand by seeing it, so I took a couple photos for you. The final step is to give each fringe set a little trim, to even up the ends.
Congratulations and enjoy! Who knew there was so much to be said about fringe, right?I hope to see you sporting this or any of your hand knits this year at the Snowshoe Fashion show during Winter Carnival!
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