4th Gen Fiber Art: handspun

Lotus Scarf
Designed by Deborah Evans
*This is a free pattern-please pass it around but do not sell it*

-based on lace pattern in “A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns by Barbara Walker

Works best with a smooth yarn that gives good stitch definition, wool with a nice sheen, handspun soy silk, or silk.

Explanation of stitches
Yo - yarn over

K2 tog – knit two together

ssk- slip the next two stitches, knit-wise, one at a time, and then knit them by inserting the tip of the left-hand needle into the fronts of both stitches at once and knit them together.

Sl2-k1- p2sso: insert needle into the fronts of the second and first stitches on the left-hand needle, as if to knit 2 together; do not knit, but slip them, both at once, from this position. Knit the next stitch on the left-hand needle an, then insert left-hand needle point into both slipped stitches and draw them together over the knit stitch and off the right-hand needle, just as in psso.

Sl2-p1-p2sso: Keeping yarn in front, insert the needle from the left into the back loops of the second and first stitches (in that order) as if to p2tog and slip them, both at once to the right hand needle. Purl the next stitch on the left hand needle and then insert the point of the left hand needle into both slipped stitches and draw them over the purled stitch.

In knitting the scarf you have two options:
You can knit the scarf in one long strip as shown in the photo. The flowers will be upside down on one side and one edge will be scalloped while the other is nearly straight.
You can knit the scarf in two pieces from the bottom to the mid-point, either both at once or separately. End first half at row 1, end 2nd half at row 2. Graft the two sides together –directions below.

Materials
You will need approximately 200 yards of yarn. I used handspun to knit both of my scarves. I recommend that you knit a test swatch to determine gauge.

Needles size 4 or the correct needle for your yarn.

For the alpaca scarf I used 180 yards of two ply measuring 14 wpi. And needles size 4 US. 35 stitches = 7inches, 5 stitches per inch, on the needle in garter stitch. Blocked scarf will measure about 6 inches wide x desired length. The scarf pictured is 55 inches long.

Pattern is based on a multiple of 10 plus 1 – 33 stitches for the pattern, I added two stitches, one at each edge for a nicer finish.

Cast on 35 Sts on #4 needles or the size best suited to your yarn.
Row 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 – Knit
Row 6- (Wrong side) k1, p2, *yo, p3, sl2-p1-p2sso, p3, yo, p1; rep from *; last repeat p2 k1
Row 7 - k4, *yo, k2, sl2-k1-p2sso, k2, yo, k3; rep from * last repeat k4
Row8- k1, p4, *yo, p1, sl2-p1-p2sso, p1, yo, p5; rep form *; end last repeat p4, k1
Row 9- k6, *yo, sl2-k1-p2sso, yo, k7; rep from *, end last repeat k6
Row 10- k1, p3, * k2, p3; repeat from P*, end last repeat p3, k1
Row 11- k3, *yo, ssk, p1, yo, sl2-k1, p2sso, yo, p1, k2tog, yo, k1; repeat from * end last repeat k3
Row 12-k1, p4, *k1, p3, k1, p5; rep from *, end last repeat p4, k1
Row 13- k4, *yo, ssk, yo, sl2-k1-p2sso, yo, k2tog, yo, k3; rep from *, end last repeat k4
Row 14- k1, p3, *k1, p5, k1, p3; rep from *, end last repeat p3, k1
Row 15- k4, *p1, k1, yo, sl2-k1-p2sso, yo, k1, p1, k3; rep from *, end last repeat k4
Row 16- Repeat row 14.

Repeat these 16 rows to the desired mid length ending with Row 5 for the straight scarf at row 3 for the grafted mid-point version.
Grafting For Garter St:
End on a right side row. Hold the knitting needles with needle points to the right and wrong sides facing in, put the sewing needle in the first stitch of the front knitting needle knit-wise and pull the yarn all the way through. Do not drop the stitch off the knitting needle.
Next put the sewing needle into the first stitch of the back knitting needle purl-wise and pull all the way through. Again, do not drop the stitch off the knitting needle.
** Now put the sewing needle into the first stitch of the front knitting needle purl-wise and draw the yarn all the way through. Drop the stitch off the knitting needle.
Put the sewing needle knit-wise into the next stitch on the front knitting needle and draw the yarn through. Do not drop the stitch off the knitting needle.
Put the sewing needle knit-wise into the first stitch on the back knitting needle and draw through. Drop the stitch off the knitting needle.
Put the sewing needle into the next stitch on the back knitting needle purl-wise and draw through. Do not drop the stitch off the knitting needle.
Rep from ** to the end of the row.

Progress Report:

1. Toe up socks are at about the arch.

2. I still haven't finished spinning the second bobbin of merino from the Tour de Fleece, but am getting there

3. Still washing wool

4. I have tagged measured and tagged all of the yarn for the Mattoon Street Festival. Have to knit samples and hats.

5. My China now has arms and a body, but is waiting for clothes. She was just a head when I got her. Arms are leather to the shoulder with individually stitched, wired fingers.

And this is why nothing is finished. Spent most of the weekend moving the plants away from the house and relocating the ones that previously inhabited

the spaces where the bushes at the top of the drive are now located. Hubby built the rock wall.

Back to filing, and looking for a job.

PS- I'm waiting for Electric spinner number 2 to arrive. The first one was defective. I am hoping that this one does not spark or have random drive band popping off for no reason issues. It has a fixed motor so it shouldn't.