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Tuesday 22 September 2015

Elf Leaf Scarf

Designed a super simple pattern, inspired when reading The Hobbit with my son :) The Elf Leaf Scarf. 




Pattern

I used 2 50 gram Splendour Yarn balls from Lincraft (Australia) with 4 mm needles. But, the pattern is easy to make in any yarn, since you can use the "principle" and vary the number of base stitches, more stitches for thinner yarn, lesser for thicker yarn. The "principle" is to alternate between an increase part and a decrease part, while maintaining the central leaf vein. The increases and decreases all happen on the side of the piece and the vein is maintained in the centre. Super simple, really. 

Make 2 pieces exactly the same, then join by the Kitchener Stitch
Knit = K
Purl = P 
Slip, Slip, Knit: ssk
Knit 2 together: k2tog
Pass Slipped Stich Over: psso
Yarn over: yo
Slip a stich: sl

For all rows, slip the first stitch purlwise. 

Edge: 
Cast on 41 stitches. Preparatory Rows (PR):  
PR1: K19, sl 1,  k2tog, psso (you have reduced by two stitches), K19.
PR2: Knit. 
Repeat preparatory rows 1 and 2 till you have 17 stitches left. That is, from 41 stitches, you are down to 17 stitches, or the "thinnest" portion of the scarf.  

Body: 

Increase
Start on right side with 17 stitches. Increase rows (IR):   
IR1: K8, yo, K1, yo, K8. (19 stitches) 
IR2 and all even rows on wrong side: K5, p to last 5 stitches, K5. 
IR3: K9, yo, K1, yo, K9. (21 stitches)
IR5: K10, yo, K1, yo, K10. (23 stitches)
Continue in this way till you have 41 stitches (or back to the original number cast on).     

Decrease
Start on right side with 41 stitches. Decrease rows (DR): 
DR1: K5, ssk, ssk, K11, yo, K1, yo, K11, k2tog, k2tog, K5. (39 stitches)
DR2 and all even rows on wrong side: K5, p to last 5 stitches, K5. 
DR3: K5, ssk, ssk, K10, yo, K1, yo, K10, k2tog, k2tog, K5. (37 stitches)
DR5: K5, ssk, ssk, K9, yo, K1, yo, K9, k2tog, k2tog, K5. (35 stitches)
Continue in this way till you have 17 stitches (or back to the thinnest portion of the scarf). Last row in this section will be K5, ssk, ssk, yo, K1, yo, k2tog, k2tog, K5. 

Keep working the Increase and Decrease portions till you have reached a length equal to half the desired length of the scarf, and end after working an increase portion. On a 4mm pair, I did 4 full repeats (increase + decrease) and then an increase (that is, 4 and a half repeats). Make 2 pieces exactly the same, and join the 41 stitches (or the number cast on) with the Kitchener Stitch

Wash, Block, Wear, Gift!