Saturday, July 25, 2009

Scalloped Lace Scarf Pattern


Scalloped Lace Scarf
By Diana Sullivan


This scarf was made from 2.2 ounces of hand-dyed fingering weight baby alpaca. It’s a multiple-transfer lace, so avoid cotton or any yarn without elasticity. The scarf was knitted on the 965i at tension 7, Stitch World pattern number 168.

Practice with waste yarn before making this scarf. With waste yarn cast on and knit several rows plain, using needles from 18L to 18R (36 stitches). Keep enough weight on the lace. Turn the lace carriage over and deactivate the colored end-needle cams by turning the slot in the center. Now the lace carriage will select the end needles.

With COR, put two extra needles into work – 19L and 19R. Do the first set of lace passes with the lace carriage. Before using the knit carriage, take the two empty needles out of work. Continue in this way: always add two needles before the lace carriage passes, and always remove any empty needles after using the lace carriage and before knitting again. Sometimes the lace will increase and use the two needles, and on those rows, leave them in work; when the lace decreases and there are two empty needles, move them back to A out of work before knitting.

By always putting out extra needles on each end and removing the extra needles after the lace carriage passes, you’ll develop a rhythm and routine. The machine keeps track of the pattern, and you just mind the end needles.

Here is how the lace will increase and decrease:
Row 1 18L 18R
Row 10 (after 1 group of lace carriage passes) 18L 18R
Row 18 (after 2nd set of lace transfers) 17L 17R
Row 24 (after 3rd set) 16L 16R
Row 28 (after 4th set) 15L 15L
Row 38 (after 5th set) 15L 15L
Row 46 (after 6th set) 16L 16R
Row 52 (after 7th set) 17L 17R
Row 56 (after 8th set) 18L 18R
At this point, the machine beeps and repeats the pattern.

For the actual scarf, start at the narrow place, after row 28. Simply do the pattern with waste yarn through row 28, end with a couple knit rows, and e-wrap cast-on with the the scarf yarn over 30 needles (15L to 15R). Knit a couple rows with the scarf yarn and then use the lace carriage.

Knit to desired length, and cast off at a narrow spot.

The scarf will curl unless it is pinned and blocked. I blocked it over the length of my ironing board, putting a pin in each point, steaming it until it was thoroughly damp, then letting it dry for a day.

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