Little Leaf Stripe Lace Scarf

This is the first project I've ever made from my handspun yarn. I've been accumulating skein after skein of yarn in a basket, and wondering what to do with it all. Finally I took the plunge--and voila!



Here's a close-up of the lace:



A few details about the project, and the scarf pattern follow.

Spinning the yarn

I spun the yarn for this project from handpainted 50/50 merino/bombyx top by Chasing Rainbows. The colorway is called "Madrona" and was handpainted by Nancy Finn, whose work was featured in Handpaint Country.



I spun the yarn on Bosworth midi-spindles, and plied from two spindles onto my Louet wheel. The resulting 2-ply yarn is approximately 15 wpi.



Knitting the scarf

The scarf is knitted in a simple, 4-row lace pattern called Little Leaf Stripe. The simplicity of the lace repeat works well with the variegated colors of the yarn.

Pattern

Materials: approximately 250 yards of 15 WPI handspun yarn (a fingering weight yarn may be substituted). Size 6 needles.

Gauge: 6 stitches = 1 inch in Little Leaf Stripe pattern after blocking.

Stitches used: SKP=slip one stitch, knit the next stitch, pass the slipped stitch over the knit stitch; STP=slip one stitch, knit the next 2 stitches together, pass the slipped stitch over the k2tog

Cast on 35 stitches for 4 pattern repeats plus 2 selvedge stitches
Knit 2 rows
Slip the first stitch of each row as if to purl, follow lace pattern as given below:

Little Leaf Stripe Lace: Repeat of 8 stitches plus 1

Row 1: Slip 1, purl across row, knit the last stitch
Row 2: Slip 1, K1 *K2tog, YO, k3, YO, SKP, K1*, repeat between * * to end, K1
Row 3: Slip 1, purl across row, knit the last stitch
Row 4: Slip 1, K3 *YO, STP, YO, K3* to last 6 stitches, end row with YO, STP, YO, K4

Repeat these 4 rows until scarf is desired length
Knit 2 rows
Bind off all stitches

Reference: Don, Sarah (1980). The Art of Shetland Lace. Berkeley: Lacis.

Return to Finished Projects Page

Return to the Still Point