Michael’s Scarf knitting pattern

Michael’s Gray and Brown Scarf

I had just written a scene in Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 5: Prisoner where my character Michael gives the heroine a very significant scarf.

When looking for a stitch pattern, I found the one used in “#31 Comfort either for a Lady or Gentleman” in The Lady's Assistant, volume 2, published in 1842 by Mrs. Jane Gaugain, pages 125-126 (click on the link to view and/or download the free PDF of the digitally scanned book).

When I did test swatches, it turned out to be a pretty eyelet pattern that looks like branches or vines winding upward. I tried the pattern as a parallelogram scarf and discovered that the pattern has a changeable orientation, looking vertical or diagonal depending on how you looked at it.

So I decided to use this pattern, knitted as a parallelogram, as Michael’s scarf.

I decided to use a smaller needle and add a slip stitch in the pattern to make the eyelets a bit more close and less lacy. When paired with a brown and gray cashmere yarn, it creates a scarf both warm and with an interesting pseudo-broken-ribbing pattern.

I think Mr. Michael Coulton-Jones would have quite liked this scarf. :)

I also made this pattern into a PDF, which you can download here.

View this pattern on Ravelry

Width: 8 inches

Length: 64 inches

Yarn: Knit Picks Capretta Superwash, Kerns Hand Painted (80% Superwash Fine Merino Wool, 10% Cashmere, 10% Nylon, 460 yards/100 grams, Fingering Weight) 1-2 skeins

1 skein of yarn made a 4.5 foot scarf (after blocking), but I had a second skein so I kept knitting until it was over 5 feet. But if you want to only use one skein of yarn, you can make the scarf a little narrower and it will end up a full 5 feet long.

Needle: US 1 (2.25 mm)

Gauge: The lace pattern is very forgiving of gauge, and I could block it to varying widths (I actually blocked it three times—the first two times, I had blocked it too aggressively). However, after the final blocking, the gauge was 28.5 stitches per 4”.

Abbreviations:

k = knit
p = purl
YO = yarn over
k2tog = knit two together
p2tog = purl two together
p3tog = purl three together
ssk = slip, slip, knit

Instructions:

Set up rows:

CO 2 stitches

1: k1, YO, k1 (3 sts)
2: p2, YO, p1 (4 sts)
3: k3, YO, k1 (5 sts)
4: p4, YO, p1 (6 sts)
5: k5, YO, k1 (7 sts)
6: p6, YO, p1 (8 sts)

Switch to Chart A, increase rows. Here are the increase rows (same as Chart A) in a slightly easier to remember format:

Note: slip stitches (on the right side) purl-wise with the yarn in back.

1: k2, (k2tog, YO, slip 1) to the last 3 stitches, k2, YO, k1
2: (same every even row): p to last stitch, YO, p1
3: k3, YO, slip 1, (k2tog, YO, slip 1) to the last 3 stitches, k2tog, YO, k1
4: p to last stitch, YO, p1
5: k4, YO, slip 1, (k2tog, YO, slip 1) to last 4 stitches, k2tog, k1, YO, k1
6: p to last stitch, YO, p1

Repeat increase rows 1-6 until there are 98 sts on needle. Continue to straight section below.

If you would like a larger scarf or even a shawl size, just keep repeating the increase rows until the knitting piece is the width you’d like it to be. Be sure to end after knitting row 6 and then continue to the straight section rows below.

Note: If you’re only using one ball of yarn for this scarf, and if you’re like me and like to try to use up every last yard in a ball, at this point weigh your ball of yarn to figure out how many grams of yarn you used for the increase section. Then when you’re getting to the end of the ball, make sure you start the decrease section when you have at least that many grams plus about 5 grams extra.

Switch to Chart B, straight section. Here are the straight section rows (same as Chart B) in a slightly easier to remember format:

1: k2, (k2tog, YO, slip 1) to the last 3 stitches, k2tog, YO, k1.
2: (same every even row): p2, p2tog, purl to last stitch, YO, p1
3: k3, YO, slip 1, (k2tog, YO, slip 1) to the last 7 stitches, k2tog, k2, k2tog, YO, k1
4: p2, p2tog, purl to last stitch, YO, p1
5: k4, YO, slip 1, (k2tog, YO, slip 1) to the last 6 stitches, k2tog, k1, k2tog, YO, k1
6: p2, p2tog, purl to last stitch, YO, p1

Pattern for as long as you would like the scarf to be, finishing after row 5. Make sure to have remaining at least as much yarn as you calculated you used for the increase section.

Before starting decrease rows, work one row on the wrong side: p2, p2tog, purl to end

Then work decrease rows starting from row 1.

Switch to Chart C, decrease section. Here are the decrease section rows (same as Chart C) in a slightly easier to remember format:

1: k1, ssk, k1, (k2tog, YO, slip 1) to the end of the row
2: (same every even row): p2, p2tog, purl to end
3: k1, ssk, YO, slip 1, (k2tog, YO, slip 1) to the last 7 stitches, k2tog, k2, k2tog, YO, k1
4: p2, p2tog, purl to end
5: k1, ssk, k2, YO, slip 1, (k2tog, YO, slip 1) to the last 6 stitches, k2tog, k1, k2tog, YO, k1
6: p2, p2tog, purl to end

Repeat decrease rows 1-6 until there are only 13 stitches left (should be after a row 6), then continue to final section, Chart D:

1: k1, ssk, k1 (k2tog, YO, slip 1) 2 times, k2tog, YO, k1
2: p2, p2tog, p8
3: k, ssk, k1, k2tog, YO, slip 1, k1, k2tog, YO, k1
4: p2, p2tog, p6
5: k1, ssk, k3, k2tog, YO, k1
6: p2, p2tog, p4
7: k1, ssk, k1, k2tog, YO, k1
8: p2, purl 3 together, p1
9: k1, slip 1, k2tog, pass slipped stitch over
10: purl 2 together

Break yarn and pass the end through the loop to tie off. Weave in ends.

Wash and block scarf to desired dimensions.