Knitting Break: What to do With that Yarn you Brought in the Sale!

Knitting Break: What to do With that Yarn you Brought in the Sale!

Version 1 with a Top Notch Fringe!

It is at this time of year that you just need to settle down in front of a log fire, and an old movie, and knit something. Handily the local knitting shop is full up with wooly bargains. I couldn't help but buy two 100g hanks of Noro 'Kogarashi' the beautiful japanese yarn that is half silk, half wool (and a little bit of straw!). I bought this yarn because the colour varies throughout the hank in shades of pink green and white. 

The idea was to knit a scarf where the rows are slanted, this effect being exaggerated by the colour variation. Then to use my new  fringe twister, to make a top notch fringe !

Version 1. 

(Please buy your own yarn in the sales, and vary the number of stitches to produce a 12-13 cm wide scarf to your own liking!)

Note: I almost always use a shortish circular needle, the lack of long needle ends makes the frequent turns much quicker.

For Noro 'Kogarashi' Yarn Using a 6.5 mm circular needle

First wind off enough yarn to make the fringes, and keep safe.

Increase section

Make a slip stitch, knit into it, Turn

(RS) Knit into front, back, front, of the stitch. (3 from 1),Turn, 

(WS) Knit to end, turn (3 stitches).  

(RS) M1 (by knitting into the front and back of the stitch) K1, M1, turn  (5 stitches)

(WS) Knit to end, turn

(RS) M1, K3, M1 (7 stitches)

(WS) Knit to end, turn

Continue increasing it this way until you have 27 stitches, ending in a WS row. Note the 27 stitches are across the diagonal, the scarf finished width can be measured along the straight edge.

Main section

Next row:

(RS)Slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over, (we will call this D1), Knit to last stitch, M1, turn

(WS) Knit to end, turn

Repeat these two rows until you have nearly finished the hank of yarn, or the scarf is the desired length.

Decrease section

Next row:

(RS) D1 knit to last two stitches K2tog, turn (25 stitches)

(WS) Knit to end, turn

Repeat these two rows until 3 stitches remain, ending with a WS row.

(RS) Slip 2, K1, Pass slipped stitches over. (1 stitch)

Cut yarn, and pass through the loop. Pull tight.

Weave in the ends, and add fringes!

This of course was not enough, as I then thought: What if I made sections of alternating slant directions?

Version 2

Save some yarn for the fringe.

Work the increase section as before, ending with a (WS) row. (27 stitches)

Diagonal Decrease Section

(RS) D1,  K24, turn.     Leave 1 stitch on the LH needle.(26 stitches)

(WS) K25, turn.

(RS) D1, K22, turn.     Leave 2 stitches on the LH needle. (25 stitches)

(WS) K23, turn.

Continue in this way until there are 14 stitches remaining.

(If you have a different number of stitches to start with, the number remaining at this stage will be (TOTAL-1)/2+1  )

Diagonal Increase Section

(RS) M1, K1 turn, (12 stitches left on the LH needle)

(WS) K3, turn.

(RS) M1, K3, turn, (11 stitches left on the LH needle)

(WS) K5, turn.

Continue in this way until you have incorporated all of the stitches on the LH needle and you have 27 stitches again.

Do not do a WS row.

Turn. This is now the RS.

Now work the Diagonal decrease section.

Version 2

Repeat these two sections until the scarf is of the desired length, or you are nearly out of yarn.

Work the decrease section.

Work in the ends, and add the fringes.

Fringe Twister in Action!

The finished scarf is soft, but thick, with a lovely texture, and feels quite japanese with this simple geometric design.

Happy Knitting!

(If you spot a mistake in the pattern, or cannot understand what I mean, please drop me a line and I will elaborate!)

Here's the finished versions side by side. I love the way that the colours softly fade into each other.