Free Pattern - Odds and Ends Kerchief

This pattern emerged after looking for ways to use up small scraps of yarn. The hoarder in me could not throw away those lengths of yarn after sewing up, particularly if it was yarn that had been hand-painted or perhaps was quite expensive. There are quite a few attractive scarves that use similar techniques; I would not claim to be the originator of this idea. However, what I wanted was a knitting stitch which allowed splashes of different colours from the odds of yarn to get mixed in with each other and yet also provide a reversible knitted surface. With this in mind, I began to experiment with slip stitches and eventually came up with this simple pattern:

KIT AND CABOODLE

You will need leftover yarns of a similar weight, (or you could use this with some highly coordinated new balls of yarn). This stitch works particularly nicely if you have a range of colours so that at stitches become highlighted against each other. Hand-painted or multicoloured yarns are particularly useful.

You will also need either a circular needle or two circular needles that she can work between which will hold the number of stitches you will be using if you intend to extend this into a longer shawl. You might find that a slightly larger needle than you would normally use for the yarn chosen will help create a more flexible fabric.

Gauge is not important and will vary depending on your choice of yarns and anyway you just stop when you are happy with the size.

THE PATTERN

Cast on 3 stitches

On each and every row slip the first stitch and increase in the last stitch by knitting into the front and back of the stitch. This will give you the triangular shape. Bring new stitches into the simple pattern once there is enough to do so.

Knit each row until you have increased to 5 stitches and then begin the pattern as follows

Row one:Sl1, Knit to last stitch, KFB


Row two: Sl1,*K1, (K1 wrapping yarn 3 times round needle)* repeat to last stitch ,KFB


Row Three: Sl1, Knit to first wrapped stitch then * (slip 1 purl wise dropping extra loops), K1 * repeat to last stitch ,KFB


Rows Four and Five: Sl1, Knit to first slip stitch then * (slip 1 purl wise), K1 * repeat to last stitch ,KFB


Row Six: Sl1, Knit to last stitch, KFB

When you start the following sequence of the pattern ensure that you place the wrapped knit stitch one stitch across from the one slipped in the rows below, so that they alternate.

Keep going until it is the size that you want changing colours at will.

Where possible I ran my yarns up the edges of the kerchief, but still had a fair few ends to sew in and took them down the edges as well to be covered with a simple crochet picot edge.

I also found it pleasing to have Row two completely different in colour to those around it, but see what you think.

If you have lots of changes of yarn you might want to weave in the ends as you go along. Or, have a look at Techknitting blog here http://techknitting.blogspot.com/2007/02/adding-new-ball-of-yarn-in-same-color.html or here http://techknitting.blogspot.com/ which suggests some excellent ways for joining in yarns as you go along.

Cast off when you get to the size that you are after. This is when I blocked.

Then add the edging, unless you prefer a plainer shape.

The crochet picot edge is 3 double crochets, 5 chains with a slip stitch back into the last dc. (English crochet terms!)

Enjoy!