Flying Geese Scarf pattern

There aren't a lot of scarf patterns out there that are suitable for guys or gals. Here's one I came up with after thumbing through some stitch dictionaries.

The stitch pattern is reversible. It looks the same on both sides. If you hate to purl, you'll love this. You only purl one row! Everything else is knit!

I worked my scarf in two colors, though feel free to knit it with just one. The stitches look to me like little flying birds, hence the name I've given it.

The sample scarf was knit with 2 ounces of leftover gray and green acrylic worsted weight yarn. It was a little short so I steam blocked it to stretch the scarf. (Be careful if you try this!) Doing this made the finished scarf 5" wide x 48" long.

The only tricky part of this pattern is learning how to do a K1B -- knit one in the stitch below. It's harder to write the instructions out than to do it. Here's a video that shows you how. Scroll down to k-b and click to view it.

Flying Geese Scarf

Size 10 (6.0 mm) needles
Aran or worsted weight yarn (2-3 oz or more)

Cast on 16 stitches (or 18, 20, 22, etc.).

Setup:
Knit 3 rows.
Knit 2 sts, purl across to last 2 sts, k2.

Row 1. K2, *k1, k1B* repeating *to* until there are 2 stitches left, k2.

[K1B - Take your right needle and place it through the center of the stitch below the next stitch on your left needle as you would to knit. Knit it letting the stitch directly above it on the left needle slip off the needle.]
Clear as mud? View the video at the link above.

Repeat Row 1 until the scarf is:
A) long enough, or
B) you only have enough yarn left to knit 3 rows and cast/bind off.

Finishing:
Knit 3 rows. Bind/cast off all stitches. Weave in ends. Wash and block.

Two color version:
With Color A, cast on and work the set up rows as above. Knit Row 1 twice. Change to Color B, knit Row 1 twice. Change colors every two rows. (Don't cut the yarn, carry it up the side.) Knit the finishing rows with Color A or B. It's up to you.

If you'd like a wider scarf, cast on more stitches in multiples of 2.

© June 20, 2008
Vicki Mikulak
All rights reserved.

Road trip, knitting, and gardening

Has a week passed since I last posted? It doesn't seem like it.

Early in the week, I took a roadtrip with friends to Threadbear Fiber Arts Studio in Lansing, Michigan. I love that yarn shop! This is the second time I've been there. The first time was in early March. I road along with a friend who was attending Terri Shea's Selbuvotter mitten class at the shop. (For some reason I never blogged about the trip. Probably because there was a lot happening at the time. I was just recovering from having that bad flu then.) Threadbear is a definite go there if you're ever in the area. As well as having more yarn in one place (except Stitches), they also have awesome sales. I do mean sales and not just clearance bins full of novelty yarn. I found Garnstudio Cotton-Viscose for $2 a ball and Vivaldi for $4 a ball! There were a number of yarns on sale for $2-$4 a ball. And yes, there was a huge bin of fuzzy yarn for a buck a ball.

I tried to restrain myself and still came home with a small bag of yarn and 2 hanks of merino/tencel spinning fiber from Pagewood Farm pictured above. Threadbear had just had a trunk show of Pagewood Farm yarn and fiber. Their stuff is wonderful. My friend bought a bundle of their spinning fiber in a wool and yak blend!

We ate lunch at Benson's Viniagrette in Lansing. Matt at Threadbear highly recommends it. The food was glorious and yummy! I had a sampler with a wildberry salad, black bean soup seasoned with cumin, a slice of fresh Amish honey bread, and a huge strawberry dipped in chocolate (which I had to give to my friends as I am allergic to chocolate). Everything is fresh and prepared daily from scratch. It's a must visit for lunch in Lansing.

It was a wonderful day spent with friends. The high point came as we were leaving. I shared my Mountain Sunrise Lace Scarf with the clerks and Matt, one of the Threadbear owners who had just arrived. (He remembered me and my Celtic Hearts Shawl from my March visit.) He liked the new scarf so much he bought it and some of my patterns for the shop! Woo-hoo! I was walking on air as we exited the shop! Here's the scarf on display at Threadbear. (Don't worry, I bought enough yarn to knit a replacement scarf.)

We have another high school graduation party to attend this weekend. I knit a mobius wrap to give to Kaity several weeks ago at her graduation party. She loved it. I finished another one this week for Suzanne. Kaity's was knit in Joann Sensation Angel Hair (a super bulky weight wool blend yarn with a fuzzy ply). It will make a warm wrap for her as she goes to school in Maine. Suzanne's I doubled stranded using Lion Brand Wool-Ease in dark rose heather and Patons Silverlash in maroon magic. This one is a little lighter weight with a touch of bling that she will like. The pattern is a free one from the Rowan website. I've seen mobius worn as cowl hoods or around the shoulders. This pattern showed it worn as a shrug! Go here and to find the January 2001 Mobius pattern. Click on download for a pdf copy of the pattern. I'll see if I can get Suzanne to model the mobius so I can get a picture to post here.

I finished a multidirectional scarf in Filatura Di Crosa Porto Cervo, a really cool variegated worsted weight cotton yarn. See how it turned out? I was knitting it at Kaity's graduation party. (Yes, everyone knows I knit and doesn't mind. They're more apt to ask where it is if I'm not knitting. Lynne calls me the Knitting Queen. I don't know about that but I do enjoy doing it.) She'll be surprised when I gift her with this scarf. She really liked it and it's her colors. LOL! (Can you tell that I have a hard time keeping the things I make? LOL!)

I mailed 3 scarves off to Scarves for the Heart this week--a Twirly Q, a shadow stitch scarf (April 10th post), and a narrow diagonal garter stitch one. These all used up odd balls of yarn I had on hand. I have a multidirectional scarf in acrylic finished that will go with the next batch. My friend, Chris, got me started knitting this pattern.

I blocked 2 lace scarves and a multidirectional one for her this week. Here's a picture of them on the blocking board. The scarves are on my bed with the ceiling fan running overhead to help them dry faster. I'm not sure how well the blocking will take on some of these scarves as they are cotton or synthetics. If nothing else, it did help even out the stitches.

It's busy, busy, busy around here as we try to whip our vegetable garden into shape. Why do weeds always grow faster than the veggie plants? We're weeding and mulching so we shouldn't have to do much but harvest after this. Can't wait for the first cucumbers and zucchinis to arrive!

Scarf naming contest results

I've christened my new scarf pattern the Mountain Sunrise Lace Scarf.

Thirty-seven names were submitted for the contest. After seriously considering each and every one, I concluded that none of them quite captured the essence of the design. (Sorry....) They did, however, help me find a name.

Even though I didn't choose any of the names submitted, I am awarding a free copy of my pattern to the two who came closest -- Toby for Mountain Peaks and Michelle for Mountain Vista. Toby and Michelle both have been successfully contacted and a free pattern delivered. It turns out that Toby is a 14-year-old boy who knits. He lives in the Netherlands. Great going, Toby!

I want to thank everyone who took the time to send me a name for this pattern.

The pattern is now for sale for $3.00 through Ravelry as an immediate download.

Mountain Sunrise Lace Scarf - pattern for sale!

Announcing the newest pattern in my lace collection -- the Mountain Sunrise Lace Scarf. It's a simple, yet elegant, lace scarf that is easy enough for a beginning lace knitter. The lace design reminds me of mountain tops.

The sample scarf was knit with 220 yards of fingering weight yarn on size 4 (3.5 mm) needles. The scarf measures 7" x 50" when blocked.

If you desire a longer scarf, start with 250-300 yards of yarn. If you'd like a lighter weight scarf, knit it in laceweight on smaller needles.

The 3 page pdf pattern includes a lace chart, line-by-line knitting directions, and some lace knitting tips.

This pattern sells for $4.00 and is available as an immediate download through Ravelry with a Paypal payment. Click the button below to purchase the pattern. Get it on your needles tonight!

A simple lace scarf -- name me?

Here's a peek at the newest lace on my needles. I pin blocked it to open up the lace. Do you like it?

I finished test knitting this scarf pattern last night. It will be on the blocking board in a little while. The yarn I'm using shades from pink to peach to pale green and back again. Below is a picture of the scarf being blocked.

I've scribbled notes all over my pattern. I have to get them all written up while I can still decipher them. LOL! Finished pictures and more information to come...

What should I name it? The person who comes up with the best name will receive a free copy of the pattern.

Please post your suggestion as a comment to this post to enter. Deadline: Thursday night at midnight EST. Contest has ended.

The winning name is Mountain Sunrise Lace Scarf.

What's at the end of a rainbow?

Monday evening I was treated to a very unexpected sight. Some heavy rain had moved through our area. I suspected there might be a rainbow and sure enough there was. When I looked out my front window to the east I saw this. (Can you see it?) After picking my jaw up off the floor, I ran for my camera. I hoped I got a picture of it before it disappeared. It didn't last very long.

I couldn't believe my eyes! I've never seen a rainbow come all the way down to the ground!

Doesn't look like there's a pot of gold around anywhere. LOL!

There's lots of knitting, frogging, and a some not terribly nice words being said around here. I've been ensnared by the lure of lace again. LOL! I'm charting pattern ideas for scarves and shawls as fast as I can get them down on paper. After knitting samples of each, I pinblock them to get an idea of what they will look like. Three have made the grade so far. Last night, I worked up edgings for two lace scarves.

There is still much work to be done before I can publish them. Samples of the edgings have to be knit to make sure they work for the designs. The entire pattern will have to be knitted and pictures taken of the finished item. Choosing the right yarn can be a challenge. The body of the patterns have already been charted. The pattern directions and line-by-lines still have to be written.

It's astounding how much time and work goes into every lace pattern. For me, it's an obsession that is so worth it! I love the process, the finished product, and sharing them with you. :-)

Oh! I'm forgetting that the patterns will need names. How about another blog contest to name that lace and give a free copy of the pattern(s) to the winners? Anyone interested in doing this again? Or being a test knitter? Leave a comment on this post to let me know. Include your Ravelry ID if you're interested in test knitting and how much lace experience you have. Thanks!