Here is the next project that I am doing for the beginners. If you have already done the garter stitch scarf, and would like to move on to something a little more advanced, give this scarf a try.
In addition to the knit stitch, you will be purling, knitting two stitches together, purling two stitches together, and finally knitting into the front and the back of a stitch.
Knit two together (K2tog) and Purl two together (P2tog) are decreases, and by knitting into the front and back of a stitch (KFB) you will be increasing.
This scarf starts out on forty stitches, and this is decreased down to twenty after ten rows. At the end of the scarf, we will increase back up to forty stitches, work for ten rows and then bind off.
You will need two balls of Cascade Cash Vero and US Size 9 needles to make this scarf or any yarn you like with the appropriate needle size for the yarn.
There are many different types of ruffles that you can add to your knitting in many different ways. I'm just going to cover a few simple ruffles here. If you like ruffles, you may want to check out Knitting on the Edge by Nicky Epstein
First up is the simplest and most basic ruffle. It is just a gentle ruffle - nothing too frilly or over the top.
All you have to do is cast on twice as many stitches as you plan to use for your main pattern. Knit a few rows - I like the look of a stockinette ruffle, but you can certainly use garter stitch if you like; or experiment with different stitches such as seed stitch. After a few rows, you will need to decrease. Just work a row of K2tog - or P2tog even. So for instance, if you plan to work with 10 stitches and you've cast on 20, you will be removing 10 stitches on the decrease row and be left with the 10 you need for your project.
Next is a more ruffly ruffle. This one simply expands on the above idea. Cast on three times as many stitches as you plan to use for your main pattern, work a few rows, then decrease. You can simply work a row of K3tog or P3tog as the decrease, or you can flex your knitting brain and calculate how to work the decreases over the next two rows instead of just one. Knitting or purling 3 together can be a little tight/tricky, so you may opt for spreading the decreases out over two rows. For instance, let's again say you want to work with 10 stitches. You have 30. You could work the decreases this way: Next row, *K1, K2tog* along the row. This should leave you with 20 stitches. Next row, K2tog across the row, and you should have left the 10 stitches for your main pattern.
Finally, you can pick up and knit along the edge of a finished piece to make the ruffle. You want to add the ruffle to a finished edge, not live stitches. Ruffles need a nice, firm edge to hold on to. If you add a ruffle to live stitches, the ruffle will spread the fabric out.
Say you are knitting a scarf and want to add a ruffle to each end after the fact. To make the picking up easier, you may want to use the crochet cast on so that the cast on stitches are clearly defined and easy to pick up. Your standard knitted bind off also created a nice edge easy for picking up and knitting. I'm sure there are other cast ons and bind offs that will give you a nice edge to pick up, but since I typically just use the ho-hum knitted bind off and crochet cast on or long tail, I couldn't give an example of any others.
In this particular sample, I picked up 14 stitches along my cast on edge, then knit a few rows in stockinette, then increased big time. I knit into the front and back of each stitch in the next row, as well as making a yarn over between each stitch, totaling 42 stitches. I next worked a plain row and then bound off. This gave me a very ruffly, eyelet edge.
You can knit the ruffle as long as you like, but the longer it is, it will turn to a flounce as opposed to a ruffle. It's really all a matter of personal taste. So get out your yarn and needles and start playing. You might like the same method of making a ruffle in one type of yarn but not another. Experimenting is part of the fun of knitting.
Here is a video of the ruffles in this post. Happy Knitting!
Amazing Curly Scarf - free pattern below. Want less ruffles? Check out my Potato Chip Flutter Scarf!
I've knit a few spiral scarves over the years, and they remain one of my favorite knits. How cool is it that your fabric begins to spiral right before your eyes as you bind off? And the best part - it is so easy to do!
Also called a corkscrew or potato chip scarf, you can use just about any yarn and needle size you like. The secret, or trick, to making your scarf spiral is in the increase rows. That's it!
I do recommend using at least a 32 inch circular needle - you will start out with relatively few stitches and in the end will have hundreds, or even 1,000 stitches that need to fit comfortably on your needles.
All you have to do is cast on a certain number of stitches, let's say 100. Knit two or three rows; then you will do an increase row to double the number of stitches you started with. Simply knit into the front and back of each stitch (you could even make YOs if you don't like knitting into the front and back of your stitches) - so if you started with 100 stitches, after the increase row you will have 200. No need to count to make sure you have exactly double the number. A few more or less isn't going to make much of a difference.
Now, knit some more plain rows - however many you knit before, whether it be two or three. The most I have used between increase rows is three, so while I am sure you could do more, I can't vouch for the looks of the scarf in doing so or the effect this would have on the spiral.
Do another increase row, again doubling the number of stitches on your needles.
Continue in this manner until you have roughly 800-1,000 stitches. I say roughly, because the needle size and weight of yarn you use will affect how long your scarf ends up being. A word of warning though - do remember that as you increase the number of stitches, the length of your scarf will also increase. One of the first spiral scarves I knit ended up with close to 2,000 stitches, and was about 12 feet long. That is much too long for most folks!! Obviously, if you are using a lace weight yarn and small needles, you will need more stitches to get an appropriate length on your scarf; if you are using a larger needle and bulkier yarn, you won't need quite as many stitches.
When you are ready, bind off. I usually knit one row less than I knit between the increase rows, so for example if you were knitting two rows between increases, knit one row and then bind off. You can use any bind off you like. Ta-Da! You now have a spiral scarf. (Is this scarf too curly/ruffly for you? Maybe you will like the Flutter Scarf instead)
Below is a video in which I knit the above scarf. If you would like to knit the same, go here.
