Free Mohair Scarf Knitting Pattern: The Winter's End Scarf

This weekend I completed the final rows of my Winter's End scarf and proceeded to block the scarf right after it came off the needles. The Winter's End scarf is knitted with fine 3 ply lightweight mohair yarn. As the pattern is straightforward and simple, this was my in-between, go-to project for the past four months. 

Simple Mohair Knitting Pattern with a Technical Twist

The stitch pattern for the scarf is a simple 1x1 rib and to keep things interesting and achieve a unique look, this mohair scarf pattern incorporates a technical twist. In order to achieve the long chain of stitches and airy texture of the scarf, the project is knitted on needles of two different sizes, radically different sizes to be precise: 2mm and 8mm. 

Free Mohair Scarf Knitting Pattern 

For this reason, and even though the project is perfectly suitable for beginner knitters, the challenge lies not so much in the stitch pattern, but in its execution; i.e. staying in charge of the fuzzy yarn, whilst working the pattern on odd needles and showing them who is boss.

Free Mohair Scarf Knitting Pattern 

I enjoy working with superfine mohair and really appreciate the unique qualities of this type of yarn, but I am well aware that the fuzziness of the material can be a source of frustration. From my experience with mohair knits, the golden rule for working with this type of yarn is to cast on loosely and to ensure you do not knit tightly. (More information on this, is available here.) This advice holds true for all mohair knits, but is even more important when knitting with mohair on odd needles.  

For the Winter's End Scarf I used Yeoman's 3 ply Elsa ( 30% mohair 40% acrylic 30% nylon), which is a budget option when it comes to Mohair yarn. The pattern is equally suitable for similar yarns or more upmarket choices with a higher mohair component (such as Drops Kid Silk) or, if you are preferring the luxury option, those with an added silk component, i.e. Rowan Kid Silk Haze or Debbie Bliss Angel. 

Free Mohair Scarf Knitting Pattern 

Gauge is not important for this project and my scarf is designed to be 35 cm wide and 135 cm long, thus producing a generous, versatile piece that can be worn in a variety of ways, either wrapped around the neck several times to keep chills away, as an accessory draped loosely around the shoulders to show off the knitting or as a protective layer for the head, shielding you from the elements, whilst simultaneously covering your entire head without destroying the hairstyle underneath. 

For a narrower scarf, simply cast on fewer stitches, ensuring you cast-on an odd number of stitches. The length of the scarf can be adapted by measuring the scarf as you knit.

Free Mohair Scarf Knitting Pattern 

The Weekly Swatch: Staggered Eyelets

 

Catching up with the posting of the weekly swatches today, next up is my swatch featuring simple staggered eyelets. It's worked over eight rows on a multiple of four plus three stitches, with the lace in- and decreases on rows three and seven.  

The Weekly Swatch: Chevron and Feather Knit Stitch

 

A variation of the classic Feather Knit Stitch, the Feather and Chevron Knit Stitch is simple, yet impactful, as it creates a beautiful scalloped edge. This stitch can be memorised without problem. The stitch motif is created over two rows and the wrong side rows are purled throughout. 

The Weekly Swatch: Arrowhead Lace Knit Stitch

 

Arrowhead Lace Knit Stitch

The Arrowhead Lace Knit Stitch is a dainty lace knit stitch that results in vertical, arrow-shaped columns of lace, ideal for rectangular garments. It's knitted over four rows on a multiple of 10 plus 1 stitches. All the wrong side rows are purled throughout.

The Weekly Swatch: Hourglass Eyelets

 

This week's swatch is the hourglass eyelet knitstitch, and whilst preparing my swatch sample, the stitch reminded me indeed of ladies' hips. 

It's a simple stitch pattern and the texture of the stitch motif is achieved through a combination of knit and purl stitches as well as standard in- and decreases. The stitch is worked over 8 rows on a multiple of 6 plus 1 stitches. 

The Simple Ruffled Edge - Without M1L / M1R Increases

The Simple Knitted Ruffled Edge (worked at the end of the knitting)  

When I was knitting my Virga Shawl, I wanted to incorporate a ruffled edge detail, but didn't feel like working m1l / m1r increases, considering the overall stitch count at this stage of the project (over 500 stitches). And so the search began for a simpler way of working the ruffled edging without m1l / m1r increases. 

Knitted Ruffled Edging  - Virga Shawl Detail    

The Simple Ruffled Edge - With M1L / M1R Increases

The most common, simple ruffled edging is achieved by working m1l (make one left) and m1r (make one right) increases into the knitting. In the instructions below for a ruffled edge worked at the end of the knitting on a multiple of 6 plus 5 stitches, the m1l / m1r increases are placed just before and after the knit stitches on the right side rows. This results in an increase of purl stitches on the following row (wrong side row), whilst the amount of knit stitches on the wrong side rows remains constant throughout. In turn, as the stockinette part of the fabric grows, this creates the ruffle on the right side of the knitting.

The stitch pattern for a ruffled edging with M1L / M1R increases is as follows: 

Row 1 (RS): P5, *k1, p5, rep from * end.

Row 2 (WS): K5, *p1, k5, rep from * end.

Row 3 (RS): P5, *M1R, k1, M1L, p5, rep from * end.

Row 4 (WS): K5, *p3, k5, rep from * end.

Row 5 (RS): P5, *M1R, k3, M1L, p5, rep from * end.

Row 6 (WS): K5, *p5, k5, rep from * end.

The m1l and m1r increases between the sections of purl and knit stitches are continued as shown above until the ruffled edging has reached the desired length. 

Whilst the above technique produces a neat looking ruffled edge, it is time consuming as a result of the m1l / m1r increases. 

The Simple Ruffled Edge - Without M1L / M1R Increases

The Simple Ruffled Edge - Without M1L / M1R Increases

In my efforts to avoid m1l / M1r, I decided to try knitting the ruffled edge with kfb (knit one into front and back) increases initially. Yet, when I knitted my edge sample with kfb increases, I didn't feel that the symmetry of the edging looked quite right, as the kfb increases created large holes in the fabric. All in all, I felt that the kfb increases didn't look neat. To fix this and improve the appearance of the ruffled edge without working m1l and m1r increases, I proceeded to work the increases slightly differently and tried something new. 

Instead of knitting in the front and back of the stitch that was to be increased, I decided to work p/ktbl and k/ptbl increases before and after the knit stitches on the right side row. (I am not sure whether the abbreviations k/ptbl and p/ktbl are correct, but as I was unable to find them referenced anywhere, I am for now just going along with these abbreviations to describe this type of increase.)

The p/ktbl and k/ptbl increases are achieved by purling (as normal) and then knitting through the back loop of the same stitch (p/ktbl) and by knitting (as normal) and then purling through the back loop of the next increase stitch (k/ptbl), thus maintaining the symmetry of knit and purl stitches. 

Increasing in this way tightens the holes, that would appear if a simple kfb increase was used, and is also much faster than working the m1l / m1r increases, which are traditionally called for. By working the increases into the purl stitch immediately preceding and following the knit stitches I maintained the increases on the right side rows just before and after the knit stitches. 

The P/ KTBL  K/PTBL Ruffled Edge

The stitch pattern for a ruffled edging with a multiple of 6 plus 5 stitches worked with P/ KTBL and K/PTBL increases looks like this: 

Row 1 (RS): P5, *k1, p5, rep from * end.

Row 2 (WS): K5, *p1, k5, rep from * end.

Row 3: P4, *(p/ktbl) into same stitch, k1, (k/ptbl) into same stitch, p3, rep from * to last stitch, p1.

Row 4: K5, *p3, k5, rep from * end.

Row 5: P4, *(p/ktbl) into same stitch, k3, (k/ptbl) into same stitch, p3, rep from * to last stitch, p1.

Row 6: K5, *p5, k5, rep from * end.

Row 7: P4, *(p/ktbl) into same stitch, k5, (k/ptbl) into same stitch, p3, rep from * to last stitch, p1.

Row 8: K5, *p7, k5, rep from * end.

Row 9: P4, *(p/ktbl) into same stitch, k7, (k/ptbl) into same stitch, p3, rep from * to last stitch, p1.

Row 10: K5, *p9, k5, rep from * end.

Row 11: P4, *(p/ktbl) into same stitch, k9, (k/ptbl) into same stitch, p3, rep from * to last stitch, p1.

Row 12: K5, *p11, k5, rep from * end.

Continue to increase as above until the edging has reached the desired length and proceed to bind off in pattern.

Simple Knitted Ruffled Edge 

For more knit stitch patterns, please follow this link to my knit stitch library.

The Weekly Swatch: Elongated Cable Knit Stitch

A fun stitch that creates cable clusters, which are connected via elongated stitches. The long stitches are created by wrapping the yarn round the needle twice. The extra loops are dropped before the cable is worked on the following row.  

The Weekly Swatch: Little Laurel Knit Stitch

 

Little Laurel / Coin Knit Stitch

The Little Laurel Knit Stitch is another super simple knit stitch. The appearance of little laurel wreaths is achieved through a combination of knit and purl stitches only. The pattern is worked over 8 rows and the sample in the images is worked on a multiple of 4 plus two stitches. 

The Weekly Swatch: Clove Knit Stitch

The Weekly Swatch: Ridged Feather Knit Stitch

A variation of the Feather and Fan knit stitch, the Ridged Feather Knit Stitch is another classic and simple lace knit stitch. This stitch motif consists of four rows and the lace in- and decreases are worked on the third row. The remaining rows are knitted and purled throughout. 

The Weekly Swatch: Crest of the Wave Knit Stitch

Another classic lace knit stitch, this week's weekly swatch showcases the Crest of the Wave knit stitch. This lace stitch motif is worked over a total of 12 rows; and the lace in- and decreases are worked on rows 5, 7, 9 and 11 only. The remainder of rows are either knitted or purled throughout. 

Audiobooks and Knitting: My 2020 Audiobook Round-Up Fantasy and Horror

Not having mastered the ability to knit and read at the same time (and doubting I ever will), I am continuing to turn to audiobooks to provide some additional stimulation when working on my knitting projects. As I have been knitting quite prolifically during the past year, the number of books I physically read in 2020 has plummeted, whilst my consumption of audiobooks appears to have increased quite significantly compared to previous years. 

Provided my count is correct, I seem to have listened my way through some 20 audiobooks between January 2020 and now. This group makes up a wide selection of genres, including literary fiction, historical fiction, fairy tales, young adult, fantasy, horror and, of course, some crime, mystery and suspense.

Round-Up: Works in Progress and Upcoming Patterns

It's been relatively quiet on the knitting front these past few weeks and despite my best efforts, I haven't been able to block my finished projects, including a bottom-up sweater (for which I haven't even taken photos due to a lack of daylight) and my Virga shawl, which I finished back in the summer.

Virga Shawl

The lack of blocking activity is largely a result of my blocking space for larger projects (the bed) being, it would seem, permanently occupied by Mietze.

Mietze one month after her unilateral thyroidectomy

Following her unilateral thyroidectomy back in September, Mietze has completely and permanently appropriated my bed; and with her thyroid levels having returned into the normal range, she now spends the best part of the day resting and lounging on my duvet.

Despite some initial and rather scary complications in the immediate aftermath of the procedure, Mietze is recovering well and it is, of course, not an option to remove her from her adopted resting space for now (or ever).

Mietze

As the year draws to a close and with winter solstice coming up in just a few weeks, I blame the remainder of my sluggishness on the current lack of daylight, which not only affects my productivity on the whole, but only leaves a very small window of time with sufficient light to take photos of finished projects. 

Nevertheless, I am currently working on a number of knitting projects, and this weekend I made good progress on a fingering-weight mohair shawl, which is knitted on needles with different circumferences, resulting in a uniquely textured fabric. 

I am hoping to release the pattern for the mohair shawl (no pattern name thus far) before the end of the year. As it happens, I might just meet this self-imposed deadline, as I do not need to block the shawl on the bed.

Fingering Weight Mohair Shawl 

Fingering Weight Mohair Shawl 

The Weekly Swatch: Trinity Knit Stitch

 

Trinity Knit Stitch

The Weekly Swatch: Chevron Garter Lace Knit Stitch

Chevron Garter Lace Knit Stitch

Vintage 1980s Knitting Patterns - Part 10

Time for the 10th instalment of vintage 80s knitting patterns.

...in which I am featuring all 13 exclusive knitting patterns (and adverts!) from the February 1985 edition of Handknitting News - a truly vintage knitting publication.

Enjoy. 

All my other vintage patterns can be viewed via this link.

 Handknitting News, February 1985 

The Weekly Swatch: Snowball Knit Stitch

 

Snowball Knit Stitch

The Weekly Swatch: Mermaid Tail / Fishtail Lace Knit Stitch

 

Fishtail / Mermaid Tail Lace Knit Stitch

Virga Choker (beaded version) - Free Lace Choker Knitting Pattern

 - These are the pattern instructions for the beaded version of the Virga Choker, the pattern for the Virga Choker without beads is available here. - 

Virga Lace Choker Free Knitting Pattern (beaded version) 

As an in-between project I finished another choker. I was inspired to design this choker when looking at in-progress project photos of my Virga shawl, an upcoming pattern for a semi-circular lace shawl, which will be published on the blog shortly. When I took the photos of the shawl, the dressmaker's dummy still had my Cascade choker wrapped around the neck and I got the idea to make a choker in the same lace motif as the Virga shawl. 

The result of this endeavour is my Virga Choker.

Virga Choker - Free Lace Choker Knitting Pattern

As an in-between project I finished another lace choker, the Virga Choker, and my free pattern is available below.

Virga - Knitted Lace Choker

I was inspired to knit a choker in this lace pattern when looking at in-progress project photos of my Virga shawl (pictured below, more information here), an upcoming pattern for a semi-circular lace shawl, which will be published on the blog soon.

Virga Lace Shawl (in progress, before blocking) 

When I took the photos of the shawl, the dressmaker's dummy still had my Cascade choker wrapped around the neck and I got the idea to make a choker in the same lace pattern as the Virga shawl. 

The result of this endeavour is my Virga choker.

The Weekly Swatch: Ostrich Plume Lace Knit Stitch

 

Introducing the Virga Shawl

New Knitting Pattern: The Virga Lace Shawl

Despite having completed work on a number of new patterns in recent weeks and months, I have not updated the blog with them. 

This is about to change and I decided to make a start today by posting a few images of my new shawl pattern, the Virga shawl.

Whilst the first test knit of the pattern is now complete, the shawl still requires blocking as well as a minimal amount of finishing; and I need to get to grips with my pattern notes before combining them into a usable pattern.

The Weekly Swatch: Vine Lace Knit Stitch

 

Vintage 1980s Knitting Patterns - Part 9

Time for instalment number nine of my vintage 80s knitting patterns. 

This post features numerous Alafoss and Wendy knitting patterns, plenty of batwing and dolman sweaters, pastel shades and headband accessories, with some entrelac and colourwork thrown in for good measure.

Enjoy.

All my other vintage patterns can be viewed via this link.

Vintage 1980s Alafoss Lopi Traditional Sweater Knitting Pattern - Booklet No 2

Vintage 1980s Alafoss Lopi Traditional Sweater Knitting Pattern - Booklet No 2

The Weekly Swatch: Chevron Rib Knit Stitch

Chevron Rib Lace Knit Stitch

Vintage 1980s Knitting Patterns - Part 8

Time to indulge in more 80s knitting nostalgia. 

Enjoy.

All my other vintage patterns are available via this link.

Vintage 1980s Knitting Pattern - Argyll 416 Ladies' Sleeveless Scoop Neck Sweater 

Vintage 1980s Knitting Pattern - Sirdar Pattern 7175 Ladies' Cardigans 

The Weekly Swatch: Knotted Box Knit Stitch

Knotted Boxes Textured Knit Stitch

Vintage 1980s Knitting Patterns - Part 7

Time for another instalment of 1980s knitting pattern handsomeness.

All my other vintage patterns are available via this link.

Enjoy.

Vintage 1980s Knitting Pattern - Patons Pattern 8065 Ladies' Raglan Sweater 

Vintage 1980s Knitting Pattern - Patons Pattern 1994 Ladies' Sweater Pattern

Free Knitting Pattern: Cascade Lace Choker

I’m finally catching up with the pattern posting of my latest knitted lace choker, the Cascade Choker. Just like my earlier lace choker knitting patterns (the Nameless and the Brocade Choker), this is a quick and uncomplicated lace project, ideal for using up tiny amounts of yarn. The choker can be completed in a day or two, including the time it requires to block the finished piece. (And if you decide to knit this choker, blocking is not optional, but absolutely essential to open up the lace.) The simple lace motif is knitted over 6 rows, consisting of knit and purl stitches and a variety of standard in-and decreases. 

Cascade Lace Choker

For this project I used just 5g of Scheepjes Maxi Sugar Rush mercerised cotton yarn and 2mm double-pointed needles (dpns). Though it is possible to knit the choker on wood or bamboo needles, I recommend the use of pointy, metallic dpns, especially if you are opting for the use of mercerised cotton yarn with this pattern. This will make the knitting experience much more enjoyable. 

The length of the choker can be adjusted easily for different neck circumferences and I recommend you check the fit whilst knitting. Altogether, you should ensure that the body of the choker covers around 80% of the neck before the piece is blocked. The choker is secured with the help of two dainty i-cords, which each measure approximately 20cm in length. These will be tied to a bow. Beads can be attached to the ends of the i-cords for a more sophisticated finish. 

Cascade Lace Knit Choker

The completed piece should be wet-blocked (to open the lace detail) and left to dry over night. 

If you decide to substitute the mercerised cotton with another type of yarn, the number of lace repeats will obviously differ. As you can check the fit whilst knitting, this should not be a major issue, making this project ideally suited to using up all types of yarn leftovers.

!!Update!!

The pattern for the one-piece i-cord version of the Cascade Choker (picture below) is now available here.

Monster High: Knee Highs

Free Monster High Knee High Stocking Knitting Pattern

After a pair of Monster High doll leggings and tights, it was high time to knit a pair of knee high stockings for the Monsters Highs.

Monster High Doll Knee High Stocking Knitting Pattern

The knee high stockings are knitted seamlessly from the top-down and finished off at the toes with kitchener stitch.

Monster High Doll - Knee High Stocking Knitting Pattern

The Weekly Swatch: Scale Lace Knit Stitch

Scale Lace Knit Stitch

I have been neglecting my weekly swatch activity at the onset of 2020 and, counting from the beginning of January, I didn't post any swatches for over four months. I am now trying to catch-up with my (not so) weekly swatch posts and in an attempt to rectify this situation, I have  prepared another lace stitch for this week: the Scale Lace Knit Stitch. 

This is another easy lace stitch and the finished swatch, which is knitted with Rowan Bamboo Soft, suggests that this could be the perfect stitch motif for a drapey cowl or a wide stole. 

The Weekly Swatch: Feather and Fan Lace Knit Stitch

Feather and Fan Lace Knit Stitch 

After knitting up a few swatches in Scallop Lace Knit Stitch for last week's Weekly Swatch, it felt fitting to follow-up with another classic lace stitch: the Feather and Fan knit stitch. Somehow, I always think of these stitches as being related to one another, with the Feather and Fan Stitch building upon and extending the stitch motif of the Scallop Stitch.

Due to its simplicity, the Feather and Fan Stitch is suitable for yarns of differing weights, including bulkier varieties, as shown in the image below. For the smaller swatch I used Wendy Zena, an alpaca / wool blend with a recommended 4mm needle size. 

Feather and Fan Knit Stitch - 

Knitting Book Review - Montse Stanley's Handknitter's Handbook

Montse Stanley - The Handknitter's Handbook, Publisher: David and Charles

Writing a review on Montse Stanley's Handknitter's Handbook has been on my ever expanding to-do-list for a while now and, thankfully, I am finally getting round to doing so. Since I got my hands on this book, it has become an indispensable companion in my knitting adventures; and despite the abundance of readily available digital resources, I am continuing to enjoy the luxury of having a hardcopy reference on my bookshelf, which I can pick-up, consult and browse without the need for an electronic device.

Stanley's guide claims to be a 'comprehensive guide to the principles and techniques of handknitting' and I wholeheartedly agree. This book does exactly what it says on the tin / cover. Whilst the Handknitter's Handbook is not an instructional book for aspiring or complete beginner knitters, those familiar with the basics and especially knitters, who enjoy designing their own projects, will find this to be an invaluable, encyclopaedic compendium, covering a wide array of topics from the very basics to advanced techniques with clear instructions and a wealth of technical illustrations and diagrams. 

The Weekly Swatch: Scallop Lace Knit Stitch

This week's swatch is an old favourite, the ever popular Scallop Lace Knit Stitch. The Scallop Stitch is a super simple stitch motif. All in- and decreases are worked over six rows and the wrong side rows are either purled or knitted throughout. 

Vintage 1980s Knitting Patterns - Part 6

I posted my last instalment of vintage 1980s knitting patterns way back at the end of  2018 and felt it was high time to sift through the vintage pattern haul once more, in order to add another instalment to the series of vintage pattern posts.

As most of the patterns are not dated, it's mainly guesswork to determine whether these are really going back to the 1980s. Some might be early 90s and others may be late 70s. If you think I've got it wrong, as always, feel free to leave a comment below. 

All my other vintage patterns are available via this link.

With that said, it's time to kick back, relax and enjoy a trip back in knitting history to colour blocks and batwing sweaters.  

Vintage 1980s Knitting Patterns - Sirdar Pattern c6798 (Odpins) Ladies' V-Neck and U Neck  Top 

Vintage 1980s Knitting Patterns - King Cole Pattern 561 - Ladies Batwing Sweater