blue shoes and happiness scarf pattern

Happy New Year. As I promised in the last post, I have the Blue Shoes and Happiness scarf pattern ready. I re-knit the scarf ( I first designed and made it in the Spring of 2006) so I could remember how it went. This second version is slightly different from the first.

Blue Shoes and Happiness

Named after the book by Alexander McCall Smith. See December 31 post for details.

finished size: (before blocking) 8.5 x 54 inches with approximately 2 inch fringe.

materials: 400 yards Noro Cash Iroha in dark blue (color #7) (mc) ; a few yards in green (color #105) (cc); more for a longer scarf.

note 1: Each of my skeins yielded 123 yards (a European packaging). I used three and ran short on the fringe. The scarf also could have been longer.

note 2: Cash Iroha is a worsted weight blend of 40% silk, 30% lamb's wool, 20% cashmere, and 10% nylon. It is a luxurious yarn (see previous post), but the scarf would be equally fine, if not better, in a plain worsted weight wool such as Cascade 220, Patons Classic Merino, or Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted. I would try the latter if I knit this again for a thicker scarf.

needles: I used US #9/5.5 mm straight needles. Needles can be short length.

#9 circular needle for picking up stitches along the edge of the scarf.

pattern stitch:

Basket Stitch

Multiple of 6

Rows 1 and 7: knit (k) across. Rows 2 and 8: purl (p) across. Rows 3 and 5: *k1, p4, k1; repeat from asterisk. Rows 4 and 6: *p1, k4, p1; repeat. Rows 9 and 11: *p2, k2, p2; repeat. Rows 10 and 12: *k2, p2, k2; repeat.

Garter Stitch

Knit every row.

gauge: I got close to 5 stitches and 5 rows to the inch (actually 4.8 of each) in the basket pattern stitch. Of course gauge is not crucial here.

Pattern:

Body of scarf

With mc, loosely cast on 32 stitches.

On every row - slip 1st stitch purlwise; knit last stitch (this will be important in picking up stitches later for edging).

Work 6 rows of garter stitch; attach cc and work 2 rows of garter stitch; re-attach mc and work 2 rows garter stitch.

Continuing to slip 1st stitch and knit last stitch, work the 30 stitches in between in Basket Stitch. Continue for approximately 50 inches or for desired length of scarf. (Garter stitch borders take about 1.5 inches each.)

After final repeat of basket stitch work 2 rows garter stitch, attach cc and work 2 rows garter stitch, re-attach mc and work 6 rows garter stitch.

Bind off all stitches loosely.

Edging

1) The slipped stitch edge forms a chain along the entire length of the scarf. Using cc and circular needle, insert the needle through both strands of the chain stitch and pick up one stitch for each chain along one side of the scarf. You will be picking up one stitch for each 2 knitted rows. Knit back along this row of picked up stitches to create one garter ridge. Bind off loosely.

2) As above, pick up and knit stitches along the other side, using cc. Knit back the picked up row to form one garter ridge of cc. Attach MC and knit 4 rows in garter stitch. Re-attach cc and knit 2 rows in garter stitch. Bind off all stitches loosely.

3) (optional) pick up stitches along short edges (one stitch for each stitch in pattern and edgings) and create one garter ridge in cc. (I did this and am not sure I like it.)

4) Fringe: cut 4 17 cm strands of yarn for each fringe. Attach along the long side of the scarf that has the wider garter stitch edging (see photo). Trim fringe to 2 inches.

That's it! Let me know if anything is unclear. And please let me know if you knit this. I would love to see pictures. I think it would look good in red with white trim for Valentine's Day.

blue shoes for the new year

Happy New Year! As a gift for the new year I have a free scarf pattern to give you. It is not ready yet, but here is a preview of the finished item in a poor photo that doesn't show the true attractiveness of this scarf, mainly due to the crummy background of a faded, bleached towel.

I have briefly blogged about this scarf in previous posts about the Christmas scarves I knit for friends in 2006. This was my absolute favorite out of 15 scarves. I named it Blue Shoes and Happiness (Blue Shoes for short) after the book I listened to as I knit it. Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith is the 7th of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Series featuring South African sleuth and font of wisdom, Precious Ramotswe. I like to think that the charm of this gentle mystery (barely a mystery novel) and its narration by Lisette Lecat was communicated to the scarf.

Appropriately, as McCall Smith is a Scotsman, the design, to me, has a Scottish feel. I think it is partly in the stitch pattern, which suggests plaid, and partly in the short sideways fringe, which suggests a kilt. I gave the scarf away without writing down the pattern. But the pattern is simple enough, and the item is small enough for me to reproduce it by knitting it again (for myself of course).

Part of the reason for the Christmas scarf project was to give myself the chance to experiment with yarns that might be too expensive to risk on a whole project. A silk/wool/cashmere Japanese import, Noro Cash Iroha, is in this category. It currently retails for about $12. per 100 yd., 50 gram skein at local yarn stores, making a basic sweater cost $120, never mind cables. That is a lot for me to spend.

This yarn seduced me though. The yarn is part of the reason why this is my favorite scarf. It has a beautiful soft shine and is smooth and soft to the touch and looks luxuriously heavy, like thick silk fabric. But it is light because of its wool and nylon content. Its only drawback for this project is its thick and thinness. This feature would add a lot of interest to a plain stockinette pattern, but is not perfect for this plaid-like basket weave. Never mind. Although if you want to knit the scarf, plain Cascade 220 or Lamb's Pride worsted, or Paton's Classic Merino would work well. I hope to have the pattern ready next time. Meanwhile, here is a new photo of the work in progress.